Within Icy Walls
by Arcana66
Summary: Jade Curtiss... a wrecked man of absolute past and absolute punishment. He is a sinner, bound to eternal suffering because of his actions. But her? Oh, no... she's perhaps even worse than he is. JadeXOC
1. Interruption

**Author's Note: Okay, well, I had a dream regarding the ToA cast once... once... when I was very sleep-deprived. But anyhow... my mind crafted an OC, one who was almost as much of an enigma as Jade. So, this story was born, a tale of two convoluted souls. The story will feature the other characters and follow the ToA plot for the most part, the focus sometimes drifting because that's just how my mind works. **

**We begin in the desert before the party reaches Chesedonia, while on their way to Azeriuth... I hope you enjoy...**

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"When will we reach the oasis? It's so hot out here…" Though Tear Grants was rarely one to offer complaint, regarding any issue, this was certainly not an independent or unique thought.

The sheer heat of the desert seemed to be something that each member of Luke's peace-brigade had entirely underestimated. Anise was dragging her feet by now, eyes refusing to be cast upward to meet those of her party members. Natalia had grown unusually sluggish, and had somehow moved from the front of the group to the rear, taking cover from the sunlight behind a quivering Guy. He, though usually terrified at the prospect of having a woman so close to him, was not in any position for complaint – he would do what he could to help the others.

Tear was murmuring quietly to herself, though Luke occasionally listened in and made some snide remark. She would combat this with quarrel of her own, which would in turn be answered, until the exhaustion of fighting in the extreme heat drove them both into silence once more. These snippets of arguments greatly amused the man travelling furthest ahead in the party: one Jade Curtiss. Seemingly undisturbed by the heat, the Malkuth colonel found himself internally struggling to keep a steady pace onward and toward the promised oasis.

"Colonel, I'm tired. Can't we stop for a break?" Anise had grown slower still, now trailing a good twenty feet or so behind Natalia. The princess of course had wanted to voice her concerns regarding the young Fon Master Guardian's pace, but was not in such spirits as to disrupt the Colonel's unending concentration. Jade looked over his shoulder, but did not stop walking.

"Anise, there will be time to rest once we reach the oasis. This is not a suitable place to stop. We could be attacked by thieves or monsters while off-guard, and we are apt to pass out from dehydration…" No one really bothered to listen to anymore of the military man's speech, but they all knew well that he was correct, and continued onward. Luke eventually found himself matching the elder's speed, and stayed just behind him in hopes of avoiding the sun's direct rays.

"It seems like we've been walking forever. Are we going in the right direction?" Natalia poked Guy curiously, obviously forgetting about his condition, which caused him to rocket forward and as far away from her as he could manage.

"I-I d-don't know, really," he answered, shaking sand from pale blonde hair. His eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment in hopes of clearing away some of the similar residue, but he found himself without much luck. "Tear's in control of the map and directional fonstone."

"We're going the right way," Tear answered plainly, trudging past Guy with a slightly aggravated look plastered upon her face. "I'm sure of it. This route is just taking a bit longer than expected. I didn't anticipate the sandstorms being so strong out here."

"Fantastic planning," Luke spat, glancing over his shoulder before quickening to Jade's side. The colonel ignored the 'youthful', idle chit-chat, and silently moved to loosen the collar of his standard-issue military jacket. Guy caught the movement, and inwardly chuckled, before falling back and allowing Natalia to take her place in the shade once more. However exhausted, the six emissaries of peace managed to continue onward, until-

"Oh, look, look! Buildings! That must be the oasis!" Anise's shouts alerted the calmer members of the party to the nearing of their destination; truth be told, each of them brightened considerably, despite the considerable distance remaining between them and the small town. Luke seemed especially happy, smiling for the first time since perhaps his parting of ways with Van.

"Oh, thank goodness," Natalia whispered, subtly quickening her step to match that of Guy. The servant, in turn, bid her a warm smile, and looked up from the dusty earth. The particles of sand flying into his eyes proved to be worth the sight of civilization after so long, and he too drew a quiet sigh of relief. As the small group advanced on the oasis, Jade was perhaps the only one to notice Luke's sudden look of despair. He lagged quite obviously now, allowing even Anise to pass him. This upset the colonel ever so slightly, but he did his best to look unfazed and sauntered onward toward the village.

It did not take long for the enigmatic man's fears to be confirmed.

"Wh-what…?! A-ahhhhh, it-it hurts! God damnit!" There is was, the red-haired royal sinking to his knees as the familiar, excruciating pain overtook his head. Pale fingers locked with the crimson strands as the look of conflict came over Luke's face. "D-damnit, not again!"

_Hmm… so you can hear me after all… it's almost disappointing._

"Stop it! Urrggh, what do you w-want?!"

_Come to the Zao Ruins. We're holding the Fon Master here. If you don't come, it could be the end of his life._

"Damnit! Get out of my head!"

_Hmm… suit yourself, dreck. Just remember what I said._

As suddenly as it had begun, the pain of Luke's headache subsided, and left him only with the words of the God-General, Asch the Bloody. His hands left the sides of his head, fingers dragging through the long tangles as he stood up ever so slowly. The others seemed worried, all except for Jade and Tear, one of whom was wearing the stern look of a solider, the other a seemingly amused grin. Luke resented the older man, and placed hands on his hips as he spoke.

"You're damn annoying, you know that?" The colonel simply rolled his eyes, and beckoned for the youth to tell them about the incident which had just occurred. "All right, all right," Luke caved. "Asch just contacted me. He said that we should go to the Zao Ruins, whatever those are, because that's where they're holding Ion."

"Fon Master Ion?!" Anise yelped, terror gracing her features. "We have to go after him! Luke, promise me we'll go!"

"Why should I? I'm the ambassador, and I say we need to continue on to Azeriuth."

"But Master! What'll happen to Ion?!" Mieu asked, equally as panicked as Anise. The small, blue cheagle bounced around the ambassador's feet, sadness looming in large grey eyes.

"I don't care. I'm not out here looking for Ion," the redhead replied calmly.

"But he's within our grasp," Tear reasoned. "We should save him while we're out here in this desert. It will not only be useful to bring the Fon Master along, but Anise has a duty to protect him, as does the colonel. If they leave, and trust me, I'm sure the others would accompany them, you'd be on your own."

"God damnit, you make things difficult." The royal inwardly groaned, tossing his head back as he squinted at the sun in contemplation. "All right. We make a quick stop at the oasis to rest, and then we go after Ion in those Zao Ruins or whatever. Where are they anyway?"

"We can probably ask somewhere where they are once we reach the town," Guy offered, nodding in the small settlement's direction.

"All right, then let's go."

Luke started off toward the oasis again, muttering to himself the entire way. The others were following closely in his stride, all except for a certain Malkuth solider. Jade trailed at a snail's pace behind the party, listening intently to the winds and the voices of the thieves – those who so freely drifted across the desert. He found them curious, almost, a fraction of an inch away from his interest. But specifically, the colonel was listening intently for something he'd heard once before while wandering these parts. To his dismay, he heard it not – the cry of a monster he'd encountered here, unable to defeat. Of course, he'd been young at the time…

_Younger_, at the time. He was not old by any definition of the word.

But he'd been almost longing to hear the beast's cry… perhaps it simply had died of natural causes, considering the climate here.

_No, no matter how much I instate logic… ah, to hell with it…_

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__**I hope to have another chapter posted soon. Hope you enjoyed it! R****&R, but only if you want to. Hehe. ^.^**


	2. Tension

**Author's Note: I love how I'm publishing these chapters at unreasonably late hours. This fic is probably the reason I've been getting no sleep recently... but seriously, this idea is just eating me alive. I just have to put it down on paper... or rather, in Microsoft Word. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter ready in a day or two.**

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However small the town surrounding the oasis was, it was still civilization, and, for the moment, it was all anyone in the party seemed to care about. The emissaries each took time at the gleaming pool of water near the town's edge, drinking and healing what wounds they had. Luke and Guy's proved to be the worst, as they'd been fighting on the front lines the great majority of the time – no one (apart from the over-eager Fon Master Guardian) seemed to mind them taking extra time to soothe their burns and cuts. The two were still wading in the crystalline waters when Jade returned to where the three females of the party stood: against an old, sand-covered building which bore a sign reading 'Tavern'.

"Are they almost done, colonel?" Anise piped. She shook her long black pigtails in disapproval of the time the others were taking, simply because she was anxious to get to Ion. The elder man before her almost allowed a chuckle to escape his throat, but restrained it and instead presented the child with a careful smile.

"Almost, Anise. Give them time to heal; there's no sense in going back out into that infernal desert without having first properly recovered."

"He's right. After all, we can't go out there knowing Guy's in pain, now can we?" Tear added, tilting her head toward the younger girl.

"Tear, that's awful. Some of us care about Luke's well-being too, you know," Natalia snapped pointedly.

"If by some, you mean one person, then I suppose you're right," Jade countered. "Oh, wait, I'm terribly sorry. Two people, counting the runt himself."

"That's not acceptable, colonel!" Natalia approached the older man steadily, glaring daggers into the elder's red eyes. Jade, almost too predictably, didn't budge an inch, but instead let that same infuriating smile creep over his lips. "Luke may have some flaws, but that doesn't mean-"

"Natalia, what's wrong?" It was Guy who spoke now, approaching the group from the small pool of water where the redhead still lingered. The Kimlascan princess covered her mouth in embarrassment, noting that she'd not only drawn the attention of the blond servant, but of several of the surrounding vendors as well. Tear sighed audibly, turning away from the commotion, and headed over to one of the supply tents to restock on healing items.

"Nothing, I… I'm sorry. That was…um, I'm sorry." Natalia too turned away, following Tear as to escape the situation she'd gotten herself into to, so unreasonably outnumbered. Anise made an obvious attempt at pouting, closing the gap between herself and Guy.

"She's a bit of a flake, isn't she?" the young girl pressed, raising her eyebrows. Guy frowned down at her, but took a few steps back for his own safety.

"No, Anise. Natalia is a strong person. She snuck out of the castle in order to come risk her life on a journey to Akzeriuth. That's not your everyday princess, right?"

Anise visibly tensed, scowling at the fact that those members of the royal family seemed to always be defended by their Fabre servant. There was a quiet sigh, followed by Anise's fake-crying as she wrapped her arms about the nearby colonel's waist. She did not particularly understand the dedication he felt toward those two, simply because they were so arrogant, and, as the young Fon Master Guardian liked to observe, idiotic.

"It hurts, colonel. All of the stupidity," Anise wept. Jade slowly smiled, stroking the young girl's hair jokingly. It seemed that Guy was bracing himself for the surely sarcastic remark which was about to slip out of the red-eyed man's mouth, but he never got the opportunity to hear what was said, because at that precise moment, a certain Luke fon Fabre came bursting onto the scene, a scowl to match Anise's painted across his maw.

"Alright, c'mon! If we're going to rescue Ion, let's do it quickly." A storm of red hair passed the group of three, and moved onward to deliver a similar message to Tear and Natalia. Anise, once again, busied herself with falsely sobbing into the blue military jacket to which she still clung. Now it was Guy's turn to roll his eyes, murmuring something perhaps a tad malicious beneath his breath as he followed Luke into the center of the small settlement.

Not five minutes had passed, and the six found themselves once again coated in blistering hot particles of sand, trying to avoid the most direct rays by alternatively hiding behind one another. Jade regretted being the tallest member of the group for a brief moment, before he reminded himself that he wouldn't have taken cover behind someone else even if he did have that luxury. He couldn't help but quietly snort at the thought.

The ruins looked somewhat similar to the relics surrounding the unnamed town they'd just traveled from, the column-like architecture surprisingly predominant. Of course, none of them were particularly interested in the ruins themselves, perhaps except for the colonel, but rather the fourteen-year old Fon Master being held inside. Luke was suddenly at the front of the brigade once they were inside, the temperature dropping considerably. Natalia was not far behind, and the others found themselves fighting a losing battle to counter their rushing.

"I wonder how old these ruins are," Guy mused, if for no other purpose than striking up conversation. His attempt sadly seemed to be failing, the members of the party far too concentrated on the rescue which loomed ahead. Jade came to his rescue as he took his place beside the blond swordsman.

"I'd guess nine hundred years, or thereabouts." Red and blue eyes locked for a moment, before the blue shrugged, and the red accepted the dismissive gesture with an amused smile.

"These halls all look the same. How do we know we're going the right way?" Luke questioned, wheeling around to face the others.

"We don't," Tear snapped, suddenly moving much too fast for all of them, and passing the redhead in just a few long strides. "But we have to keep moving. We could split up, if you wanted." Certainly, it was a poor excuse to be rid of the temperamental, whiny ambassador, but Luke actually paused to give the idea thought for a while. Sighing deeply at his contemplation, Tear corrected herself: "Just keep moving. We're bound to run into something eventually."

"Miiiieeeeeuuu! What's that thing?!" All eyes were cast on the young cheagle who'd suddenly leapt into the air. Mieu was pointing quite frantically at a nearby pile of rocks, from which was emerging some sort of humanoid-looking creature. Its jaws were lengthy, and, like the rest of its body, somehow composed of earth. Deep brown eyes bore into the very center of Luke's being, and the beast suddenly charged forward, toppling a column of stone with the large scythe it wielded. The Fabre boy instinctively reached for the blade at his back, drawing it forward and cringing as the sound of metal hitting the rock-scythe resounded throughout the corridor.

_"Tue rei ze croa riou tue ze~"_ The silvery voice hung in the air for a few brief moments, before the familiar swirls of purple energy encased the monster standing before the swordsman, and it dropped to the ground, unconscious. Luke, shocked by the creature's sudden collapse, jumped even farther back when an arrow shot by Natalia suddenly penetrated the side of the monster's head. The ambassador swallowed thickly, slightly embarrassed that he couldn't single-handedly accomplish what Tear and Natalia had just managed.

"Let's keep moving," came the soldier's calm voice, long brown hair swaying from side to side as she passed a rather aggravated Luke. He swore again, but did not offer any major complaints, and continued along the pathway before him.

It was not long before the group came to a bridge, constructed across a vast, empty space: what would be a seemingly endless drop downwards. Anise looked over the edge and trembled, immediately retreating and taking her place behind Guy. "Don't look down," she cautioned, though of course, this obviously meant that Luke, who'd overheard her, was going to try it. The redhead immediately regretted the action, and he too placed considerable distance between himself and the bridge's railing. Jade took the lead now, wordlessly offering a resolve the others could not conjure while in the face of such peril.

The massive stone structure narrowed up ahead, the sides sporting an unfortunate lack of railings. Noting the change, Jade had demanded that they travel in a single-file line, as to avoid getting too close to the edges. The darkness, now that they were father inside of the ruins, was another force to be reckoned with – besides the ever-present fear of falling to one's death. It was nearly impossible to see in the sheer dimness of the earthy chambers. Tear had taken note of this, but admitted upon Guy's questioning that though she could control the light fonon, there was no hope of producing any concentrated light which could function as a torch.

"I don't like the dark," Anise mumbled, kicking at the colonel's heels for emphasis.

"I'm quite sorry to hear that," Jade remarked, the ever-present sarcasm causing the young girl to fume. "But, this little mission is all for the safety of the Fon Master you're supposed to be protecting, correct?"

"…that was cold, colonel."

"My deepest apologies."

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**Yep, that's it for this installment. Took me long enough to write. *sigh* Anyhow, in the next chapter, you'll finally meet the OC. Bwahahaha~! **


	3. Fight

**Author's Note: This chapter is a tad shorter than the last one, but man... it was tough to write this scene while keeping track of what exactly was going on. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this third installment. Prepare to meet the main OC!**

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The end of the bridge widened considerably before opening up upon solid earth. Two piles of rock sat upon either side of a clearly marked path forward, between which some sort of door was visible. The structure itself begged questions, seeing as how it was inlaid rather seamlessly into a wall of dirt. Guy made a grab for his sword, as did Luke in tow. Tear drew out a knife, and Natalia readied her bow, fitting an arrow's end into the string. Almost as though on cue, two figures emerged from the archway ahead, one of them firmly gripping the other's shoulder.

"Good to see you've made it, dreck. Well, maybe the 'good' is debatable." Asch grinned down at them, a somewhat distraught, even insane look riddled upon his face. "You can have your Fon Master back now. We're through with him."

Ion, who stood next to the deranged God-General, meekly glanced up at the companions he'd previously been travelling with. He managed a slight smile for Anise, but only for her, before he cast his eyes back down. A sword was at his back, the red-headed man beside him pressing it into his skin in order to move him forward. He did so hesitantly at first, before coming to a complete stop, when another voice rang out through the nearly empty chamber.

"Whoa, whoa, Asch. We're not just going to give them the Fon Master. That'd be too easy, now don't you think?" Sync, a damnable smile the only feature visible upon his maw, was moving in on the group from behind one of the rock piles. Asch tensed a bit, but didn't verbally protest to the green-haired teen's actions. "What do you say, huh?" the God-General questioned, tilting his head at the young, black-haired guardian.

"Damn you, Sync! Give Ion back!" Anise charged forward, momentarily forgetting about her doll, and attempted to hit Sync with the mace which she wielded. He, of course, was much too fast for that, and easily performed a backflip to avoid contact. Now it was Guy's turn to rush forward, the clanging of his sword and Sync's knives echoing about the room. They remained locked in battle, until Guy was suddenly taken off guard by the swing of a large, black scythe. The backside of the blade crashed into his ribcage, most likely splintering a bone, and the blond tumbled backwards until he collided with a wall. Largo stood beside Sync now, a frown upon his face.

"You!" Natalia shrieked, drawing up her bow. She fired, but the God-General was able to deflect it without much effort. A chuckle grew in the black lion's throat, before it erupted as a thundering roar.

"Well done, princess, but you really should have stayed at the castle." Now he took up the scythe again, this time, charging to lock blades with Luke. Tear began casting, but the whirlwind actions of Sync were much too fast, and he leapt over the fallen Anise to engage her in a duel of knives. Lacking the agility to keep up, Tear was quick to fall to a surprisingly brutal blow to the head, consciousness escaping her. Anise, body tense with anger, drew out her mace and charged the green-haired boy again.

"Die!" This time, Sync barely dodged the blow, stumbling as he recoiled from the attack. This of course left an opening, which the eagle-eyed colonel caught. Jade charged in from the side, lodging the spear he summoned into the God-General's arm. The boy cried out in anguish, clawing at the bloodied gauntlet upon his wrist, before leaping back and forcing Jade's spear to dematerialize.

Jade's concentration was broken as he watched Natalia fly across his line of vision, thrown by another back-bladed strike on Largo's part. Luke was failing miserably to engage the lion in combat, managing to be shoved off such that the God-General could finish off more worthy targets first. Noting this, Jade began casting a fonic arte, only to be interrupted by a sudden flash of green. Sync, blinded by anger, drew out two knives to attack the older fonist, though he found himself being deflected.

"You can't keep up with me! Not while your allies are all defenseless!"

Now that Jade actually bothered to look, Sync was disturbingly correct. Largo was fighting Anise, Luke was, for the most part, being helpless, and the others had all been rendered unconscious. He cursed his misfortune before summoning his spear to do battle with the God-General. Of course, the youth had vastly underestimated Jade's prowess when it came to hand-to-hand combat, a sorry fact which he noted upon having to propel himself backwards near ten feet to avoid what would've been a fatal blow.

"Ah, so this is it," Largo laughed, picking Luke up by the collar of his jacket. Anise, who now lay equally as disabled as the majority of her fellow comrades, looked helplessly up at the redhead staring death in the eyes.

"Damnit!" The smaller male squirmed, kicking his feet in desperate attempt to free himself. This only increased the magnitude of Largo's laughter, who swung him back and forth like a ragdoll.

"Are you prepared to see your friends die, Necromancer?!" Suddenly, Sync was rushing toward the colonel again. Several thoughts managed to seep their way into Jade's brain, but the most disturbing of all was not the prospect of his comrades' deaths, but of his own, personal failure to protect them. If he cast now, he could save Luke's life, and pray the boy was able to fight Largo, at least for a few seconds. If he fought Sync… death was near-certain for the royal.

"I..." For once, Jade Curtiss found himself unable to complete a statement. He closed his eyes, focusing on opening the fon slots he could, readying blasts of fire to converge upon the black lion's chest. Sync was rapidly advancing; the moment of casting was complete – Largo was howling in pain. But here the colonel was…

_Defenseless._

_Sync rapidly closing in with a knife angled to my throat._

_…I refuse to close my eyes._

The deadly object neared Jade too quickly to counter, and he balled by fists as to prepare for impact. To the soldier's dismay, the blade never graced flesh… or rather, it never graced his.

A fine line of red shot across the tempest's chest, who suddenly halted his assault as a look of supreme agony overtook his features. "My God!" The blood was pouring out from a wound far too large to have been caused by a simple knife. It gaped across the green-haired man's chest, exposing mutilated blood vessels and muscles, amongst the fabric of his clothing, which looked as though it had been burned inwardly upon his skin.

"Don't move."

The realization hit Jade very suddenly that he had not caused the tempest's injury, nor was he the one who'd rendered Largo without a weapon. A black-cloaked figure stood in front of the larger man, gleaming red sword pointed at his stomach as they repeated the command: "Don't move." A trembling Luke laid at the mysterious figure's feet, clinging to his own blade as though his life depended on it – which, ironically, it may have. Jade raised a brow in their general direction, drawing out his spear and holding it to Sync's throat.

"Pleasure to meet you too, if I may say," he remarked, nodding casually at the hooded figure.

Though he could not see their expression, he assumed it to be a general look of exasperation which had come across the newcomer's face.

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**Well, that's all for now. I think I can have the forth chapter completed soon. I hope you're all enjoying this so far~! Reviews are much appreciated. ^.^**


	4. Resolve

**Author's Note: Whew! Chapter 4 is finally finished. I'm working on Chapter 5 at the moment. Enjoy~!**

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A blade, already soaked in the blood of Sync the Tempest, now found itself being pointed upward, tip touching the throat of a rather stunned Largo. Sync himself was still trembling from the pain of having endured such a wound, and was now staring into Jade Curtiss' eyes – the sight of them alone seemed to intensify his agony. The God-General swallowed hard, raising a hand to move the colonel's spear away from his throat, but the weapon did not budge, nor did the brown-haired man's threatening stance.

Luke was on his feet now, a reasonable distance placed between himself and the black lion, who was glaring intently at the hooded figure that stood between them. The blade in the mysterious intruder's hand twitched, as though of its own accord… as if the glinting red sword, rather than the person, wanted to spill Largo's blood upon the ground. From the corner of the redhead's eye, he glimpsed the third God-General, who looked very similar to him, stepping down from the platform before the door. He was pushing Ion forward, in his general direction, murmuring curses to himself.

"This isn't the time or place to fight. The entire structure could collapse. Take your Fon Master."

Luke stepped forward hesitantly, grabbing onto Ion's shoulder before guiding him behind the figure still brandishing their weapon. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes nervously darting between the God-Generals, Jade, the newcomer, and those unconscious. It seemed as though Tear was starting to come around, pushing herself up against the nearby pile of rubble, rubbing her eyes.

"Stand down," Asch commanded, drawing out a blade of tempered steal, that which glistened, smooth and black in his hand. He directed the weapon at the cloaked individual who'd remained locked in a standoff with Largo, and eyed them carefully. "Sheath your blade." The figure took their time deciding, quite apparently, before replacing the sword at their side. Somehow, Jade was the only one who noticed the lack of any sort of sheath. Another pause was felt, before Asch too replaced his weapon, and grabbed Largo's scythe. Once the man was again in procession of his weapon, he nodded curtly at the stranger, almost a gesture of honorability, and began to follow the red-haired God-General sprinting across the bridge and into the darkness.

Sync, standing slowly as to avoid unnecessary blood loss, passed the colonel with a sickening smile upon his maw. Jade found that smile infuriating, much like his own party members found his near-constant grin. The tempest was going to live – after all that they'd down to prevent their own allies' deaths. "Damn," Jade swore beneath his breath, dismissing his weapon with a mere wave of his hand. The footsteps of the escaping enemies eventually faded into silence, giving way to an awkward balance between those conscious.

Tear had found her staff somewhere midst the rubble, and was currently providing aid to the more unfortunate members of the party: those who'd been badly injured. Guy did indeed have a broken rib, and Anise was bleeding from a rather nasty shoulder wound. The Locrian sergeant was thankful that Natalia, however badly bruised, was still in a state to help with the healing. Perhaps Luke had been right; taking a second seventh fonist along was proving to be more than useful.

"So, who exactly are you?" It was Luke who shattered the peace (not to anyone's surprise), most impolitely accompanying his words with a harsh poke of the cloaked figure's shoulder. The stranger didn't reply, instead, turned such that they were facing the opposite direction of the red-haired teen. This greatly aggravated Luke, who spat on the ground and trailed after the one currently walking away from his question. "Hey, hey, I'm talking to you!" he roared. The stranger simply continued walking, moving to examine the door which Ion and Asch had emerged from.

"Hey!" Luke tried again, and again, raising his voice each time he yelled at the newcomer. Still, they offered no verbal response. Tear and Anise stood from their kneeling positions, both glaring daggers at the redhead; Luke refused to relent, looking down at his feet in anger. Mieu was there, silently staring at the cloaked one upon the platform. On a whim, the ambassador bent down to pick up the tiny blue beast, and then hurled him at the stranger's back. "Are you deaf?!"

"Luke!" It was Jade's voice this time, still cool, still riddled somewhere between seriousness and ever-persistent amusement. The single word – the boy's name – managed to prevent the redhead from launching any further assault. He stood as though frozen in time, chest still heaving due to his previous screaming. Slowly, Luke backed away, before turning toward Tear and the others; if he couldn't question the stranger, he could at least remark rather snidely about their general arrogance to Guy – he'd certainly be willing to listen to the red-haired teen's rant.

A slow breath was drawn from the colonel, tremors passing along his spine as he moved to examine the door alongside the hooded figure. He cleared his throat, glancing sidelong at the one who now stood beside him, hands tucked neatly behind his back. "Might I be so privileged as to be informed of the name of our savior?" Jade had to resist throwing in words such as valiant, strong-hearted, or anything else generally considered snobbish and irritating.

"…do you ever stop, colonel?"

Perhaps it was not the response which surprised him. Then again, perhaps it was. Jade Curtiss knew that voice, knew it very clearly, and the mere sound as each syllable poured from their lips sent horrible reflection and infinite questions searing through his mind. Very suddenly, his entire body felt as though it'd been encased in ice, and he was struggling for breath, drowning, almost, and – no, no, that can't be right. It's your imagination.

"Pardon?" The single word was a plea for the voice one more time, just once, so that he could be certain. Regrettably, the answer never came, the figure instead turning toward the bridge. They descended the steps, and began walking down the path between the rock piles, as though Jade had suddenly become non-existent. At the joint of earth and bricks, they paused, looking over their shoulder from beneath the cover of the cloak.

"I suggest you move. This place is going to cave in." And then, what even was that? Almost like a casual wave, the stranger raised two fingers, before quite remarkably hurtling over a nearby stone and down, down, into the seemingly endless abyss below. Jade was quite certain they'd survive – no point in telling someone the structure was going to collapse and then committing suicide to rid themselves of the problem. But this experience, this one brief moment, those words – however distance – they left a bitter taste in the colonel's mouth. He frowned, thankful to still be facing away from the group, brow furrowing in confusion. It was as though they'd not heard the stranger's warning at all…

I know what I heard… but I must be hearing things, because what I thought is completely improbably. Impossible, even.

"Jade? Is something wrong?" It was Natalia who was speaking to him, her presence suddenly just to his left. Quickly he returned to his ever-present grin, the frown and the confusion locking themselves away within his brain instead. He turned to face the Kimlascan princess, tilting his head as though he was the one who'd questioned her.

"Not at all. Though I do suggest we take our mysterious visitor's advice. The ground is beginning to shake." Of course, only Jade had noticed the minute jolts upward from the earth below – he had excellent perception of such things – and so it was no surprise to him when Natalia gasped in response.

"You mean an earthquake?"

"Yes. I'd certainly hope that there wouldn't be any other force causing these tremors, princess." Jade wasn't entirely sure why he'd added the last word, whether it be for formality's sake, or just for the further annoyance of his comrade. Perhaps both... no, no, mostly annoyance.

"I told you not to address me as such, Jade." Did she miss the part about the earthquake entirely?

"Right, of course. Let's move." She might've been slightly offended even, not that the Necromancer cared very much, as she stomped off toward the remainder of the group. They were up on their feet relatively quickly, navigating the vast array of hallways and chambers toward the exit – thankfully, it seemed as though one of the God-Generals (Asch, most likely) was watching out for them, as he'd deliberately left a spill of healing potion here and there along the correct path. There was not much guess work to it this way – they merely had to follow the glowing traces of liquid, and, above that, the smell of wintergreen. Ten minutes had passed upon their return to the central chamber, another five given to escape to the outside world, during which time Luke complained at least once every ten stairs.

The colonel paused to give everyone time to catch their breath after running up what must've been several hundred steps. He appeared to be in no need of a stop, however, which led to the almost accepted roll-de-eyes from Anise. Several minutes passed, after which time, Luke turned in horror back to the massive structure that was the Zoe Ruins – sinking into the desert sand. "Whoa," he managed; taking a step back and reeling at the sheer magnitude of what could've been a disaster had they not escaped when they did.

"Colonel, who was that in the ruins?" Of course Tear would ask; Jade sighed, shaking his head pitifully.

"I have no idea. I just thought I could strike up a bit of light and cheery conversation."

* * *

**Hope you liked it! ^.^ See you again soon~**


	5. Reminisce

**Author's Note: Oh my. This one was tough. I hope I'm getting Jade's character correct... unfortunately, he remains an enigma even to the writer. Haha. Well, anyhow, enjoy~!**

* * *

"We should start travelling toward Chesedonia. Maybe we could stop at the oasis along the way." Guy was scratching at the back of his head, swearing that the sand particles flying about had permanently engrained themselves in short, golden locks.

"Yes, that makes sense. We can't possibly cross the desert directly from here to Chesedonia without stopping," Tear added in, combing through her own hair with Guy's shared look of disapproval. They all seemed to agree on this notion, even Luke, who was perhaps the most anxious to finally reach the city of trade. The sooner they reached Chesedonia, the sooner they reached Akzeriuth, and that was really all that the redhead cared about – seeing Master Van.

"I assume you won't mind if I accompany you a bit longer then?" Ion pressed, looking all too hopeful.

"Oh no, that's so not happening," Anise interjected, not allowing anyone else time to respond. "You're going back to Daath. King Ingobert received the letter, and that's all we needed to do. There's no reason to travel to Akzeriuth with Luke and others."

"But-" Ion began to protest, only to have his mouth covered by Anise's gloved hand. The young Fon Master Guardian shook her head furiously, pigtails bouncing rather amusingly as she did so.

"No. We're returning to Daath, end of story."

"Well, there's no sense in parting ways here," Jade announced, burying hands deep within his jacket pockets. "We should go as far as Chesedonia together, at the very least." At this, the Fon Master seemed visibly happier, whereas Anise was now scowling at the colonel. The black-haired girl was smarter than to argue though, especially against a man nearly three times her age – Jade the Necromancer, no less.

"Well not's not talk about it, let's move," Luke grumbled, pushing off from the rock which he'd been previously leaning against. Ion perked up, taking his place just behind the Kimlascan ambassador with a great smile gracing his features. Anise rolled her eyes, but followed in his stead. The others were quick to take their respective places, forming a hexagon around the Fon Master.

The journey back to the oasis was considerably easier than the journey to the ruins, considering the wind was now at their backs rather than in their faces. Natalia spent a vast majority of the time they travelled seeking shade behind Guy, as she still not adjusted to the Malkuthian colonel's presence in her immediate vicinity – of course, her decision in choosing him as shade might've not been the smartest idea either, as she would occasionally draw too close, and the servant would rocket forward into Luke, who would do not but complain.

When the small town built around the familiar bubbling of water came into view, Luke immediately suggested that they continue directly onto Chesedonia without rest. Tear pointed out that this would be neglecting their knowledge of the wind tendencies in the desert, and that'd they'd be travelling directly into a more violent version of the sandstorm they'd just encountered without having properly recuperated. Her logic brought a groan from the redhead, but he dipped his head in submission at the prospect of being outnumbered in decision making, again. He questioned why he, and not Tear, had been appointed the leader of this group anyway, if no one wanted to listen to him.

"Finally," Anise chirped, grabbing hold of the stone pillar which marked the town's outskirts. The smallest member of the group was visibly struggling to keep up with the rest, short legs making for short stamina. They would each, apart from Luke, commend her on the ability of sheer willpower to continue travelling. Ion seemed equally as exhausted, though the party's worry for him did not lie alongside Anise's – Anise was young, but she was still strong. Here, Ion was young, as well as exceptionally weak. It was no surprise that the Fon Master Guardian herself requested that they stop to take advantage of the oasis' healing properties once again.

Luke sat by the water's edge, cupped hands continuously reaching down to gather the crystal-clear fluid, and then bring it to a waiting mouth. Guy was close by, kneeling as to avoid collecting unnecessary sand in his clothing, but drinking as the redhead was. Tear and Anise were there by the fallen pillars, reminiscent of the ruins they'd just visited. They made quiet conversation, blatantly ignoring the princess who was by now wading knee-high in the tiny pool of water, splashing water onto her face. Mieu was dancing about Natalia, the power of the sorcerer's ring allowing the tiny creature to freely float upon the water without exerting any effort whatsoever. The only presence not in attendance was one military colonel, who'd already taken his drink, and had by now retreated to the outskirts of the village.

His pensive gaze was directed toward what remained of the Zao Ruins, far to the east, only able to be seen after he removed his glasses, leaving his fonic sight unhindered. He stood with his spine perfectly straight, hands buried deep within the pockets of his uniform. A cunning brain containing a vast array of knowledge and impudent wisdom found itself with gears ever-turning, Jade for perhaps only the second or third time in his life, finding himself confused without reason. The figure in the ruins had been a mystery to them – who's to say they'd even see them ever again? – and the colonel seemed to be dedicating an unusually long time to convincing the others he knew not who the stranger was.

He'd spent an even longer time convincing himself that he knew not who the stranger was.

_Because that's impossible, _he reasoned. _Because their being here would defy reason – and nothing, absolutely nothing, defies reason…_

Reason stood, but the powerful memories which blazed within the Malkuthian soldier's head hurt him, ringing clear as day. That voice had been a trigger for this, _their_ voice; he knew it. And it was all just a part of his imagination, and Jade knew that too. So why had this coincidence somehow caused all of the elder man's fears to be rekindled, parts of his past long gone now cutting into him like barbed wire?

Sometimes, Jade could feel it… standing there, just behind him, an unwelcomed guest… his past.

It would hang over his shoulders, leaning its heavy chest upon his back, clawed hands gripping at his own wrists. Its breath would be there in his ear, long, thorny tongue cutting into the soft flesh of his neck, before hungrily lapping up any of the precious red liquid which dribbled forth. Large black wings cradled him like a lost child, talons upon them razor sharp and inviting him into an escape from reality, one which he never wished for. And every once in a long while, when the colonel found himself drowning within the memories which he tried so desperately to push down, too deep for anyone to reach, he could hear the voice of his past in his ear. The tongue and teeth would stop for a short moment, and he could hear what that monster called him. Its fangs would embed themselves within his earlobe, and, voice soft as silk, it would whisper to him…

"_Sinner…"_

And Jade couldn't deny it. Nor would he ever.

As the colonel settled in for a long conversation with the beast behind him, the calm voice of one of his allies broke the trance, most thankfully. He still had no idea how exactly to deal with his past; Jade would never admit to that, however. And as long as there remained someone to interrupt like so, who was he to try and reach that conclusion when it pained him so?

"Colonel?"

Ah. Tear: the voice of reason…

_That's almost ironic. _

"Hmm? Sorry, what was it you wanted?" He turned, a perfect solider, expression of complete neutrality upon his face as gazed upon the younger girl. The elder quietly raised a hand to his face, replacing the glasses he'd removed earlier. Tear paused to raise an eyebrow, and opened her mouth as though to tentatively say something she had not planned on. Thankfully, the mind of such a servant of reason would not allow her to ask unnecessary questions, and Jade was thankful.

"We should be heading out for Chesedonia soon. Is there anything you want to take care of before we leave the oasis?"

"No, I'm fine. Purchase what supplies we'll need, and then tell our beloved ambassador that we're ready to go." He was greeted with a slight chuckle, before the long-haired girl turned from him and headed back into town. The colonel let out a deep sigh once she was out of earshot, giving a final glance to the ruins in the distance.

"Nonsense." Another sigh, and the Necromancer found himself walking away from the sight of them, silently praying that returning would not be required of him at any point in the future.

"Hey, stop that!" Jade's gaze fell upon young Anise, scowling at Luke. _Surprise, surprise. _"Mieu isn't to be used for cooking!"

"Miiieeeuuuuu…"

The Necromancer chuckled, pushing away the last reminiscent thought, before straightening himself and willing a smile upon his lips.

"Honestly Luke, you're going to burn yourself if you don't stop th-… wait, on second thought, go right on doing what you're doing."

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**That one was tough... bleh. :P Anyhow, I'm looking forward to writing the next one, and maybe, just maybe, I'll answer a few questions you probably have. Also, I'm thinking about creating a scheduled release of chapters... if you have any ideas, reviews and answers to that question are appreciated. Til next time~! **


	6. Messages

**Author's Note: Well, this chapter was the worst. Absolutely. Oh my... it gave me miniature heart-attacks all the while I was writing it. I hope everything's alright with this one... *freaks out about OOCness*...**

* * *

They'd arrived in Chesedonia within two days, having to stop only once when Guy was badly injured – he'd taken quite the blow to preserve Ion's safety. Tear was greatly annoyed because it would've been easier for Luke to block that particular strike, but he'd instead leapt out of the way in order to protect himself. Natalia, of course, had defended Luke, who in turn was engaged by Anise, who supported Tear. Guy was injured, and didn't say much, and Ion was found to be neutral, and he didn't say much of anything anyway.

Jade just watched from afar, the argument amusing him, but the state of his comrade doing just the opposite. He knelt beside Guy and Ion whilst the others bickered, eventually calling to their attention that either Tear or Natalia needed to do something about the blond's profuse bleeding. It was Natalia who eventually provided the relief the servant sought, only to have Guy immediately pass out from what was perhaps a combination of pain and the fact that a woman was touching him. Tear then suggested that they rest, only to have Luke raise his voice in protest. Thus, another argument was sparked within a mere five minutes of the last.

They'd agreed to one night of rest; after the sun had risen, and their ambassador had been woken up, the group of eight (Tear demanded that Mieu was not to be considered a "thing" but "one of us") was off again toward the city of trade. And they'd reached their destination when the sun was high, the day closer to sunrise than sunset.

As soon as they'd passed the entrance gate, Natalia perked up, turning to the rest of the group with a rather self-confident, almost smug expression. "We still have some daylight left. It'd probably be a good idea to check in with the Malkuth consulate now, and see if we can board a ferry right away."

"I couldn't agree more," Jade purred, and everyone paused for a moment to consider the potential mockery hidden within that statement.

The group moved further into the city, the alleys created by vendor-stands becoming more and more crowed the closer they drew to the marketplace's center. People frequently bumped into them, some mumbling "sorry" while others grunted in annoyance. Luke was rather displeased with the situation, having never been exposed to any sort of crowd in his lifetime. Natalia obviously felt uncomfortable as well, because she sought cover between the young Kimlascan ambassador and his servant. Anise, unlike the rest of the party, actually seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Look at what I found," she cried, holding up what appeared to be a string of rubies. Tear gasped quite loudly, and proceeded to immediately command her to return the gems to whatever merchant she'd stolen from. Anise, though thoroughly disappointed, obliged, and disappeared between the waves of people once more. She reappeared alongside her allies as they reached a less crowed area, in front of what appeared to be an old tavern. The sign above the doorway boasted that it was the best inn in Chesedonia, on top of being the best bar, the rather poor slogan 'Drink Your Troubles Away' just beneath the even poorer name of the establishment.

As they neared the massive structure, Luke suddenly fell to his knees, hands entangling themselves within the mess of crimson atop his head. "Damnit… again?" He thrashed about more brutally than last time, drawing the attention of his other companions.

"Master, are you going to be okay?!" Mieu asked, panicking as he jumped in circles about the redhead.

Visible rings of energy were forming about the teen's body, fonons pulsing into the atmosphere just around him. His eyes were screwed shut, and he appeared to be deep in concentration, though apparently retained enough focus on the real world to knock the tiny cheagle out of the way and into Ion's legs. "Shut up, thing… ugghhh!" His hands went back to his head, and the tremors soon set in, as did the familiar voice inside his head.

_You're pathetic… just look at you, you stupid dreck. You can't do anything right._

"Asch! G-get out!"

_You don't even have the strength to make me!_

"I said… get out of my head!"

_Hmm… what else are you good for? Let's see… turn your sword on that woman, there._

Asch internally gestured toward Tear, and Luke's eyes went wide with horror as he suddenly found himself standing. He couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, but he could feel his muscles tensing as an arm no longer in his control reached around to draw out his sword. Luke panicked, shaking his head as the blade's tip suddenly found itself pointing in a rather startled Tear's direction. "I-I… no, I'm not… I'm not doing this. He's controlling m-me!"

Tear was speechless, and quite apparently motionless, because the blade was soon hurtling toward her and she couldn't do a thing to stop it.

It seemed that Asch could, though.

The blade suddenly fell to the ground, metal clanging against stone before Luke fell haphazardly atop his own weapon. The teen was panting, gasping for breath, eyes wide and streaked with blood vessels which bulged outward from his iris. His muscles felt like jelly, pure exhaustion sweeping over him as each part of his body succumbed to an uncontrollable shaking. Luke brought his hands over his eyes, trying to block out the sunlight which stung him, unable to blink.

_So pathetic, replica…_

But Luke didn't really having time to process that phrase because soon, he found himself in a swift, downward descent toward a tranquil silence. The entire world was black, lost in a glossy coat of darkness, like when Tear's fonic energy surrounded a being before she sang it to sleep… before it was lost, quivering… being eaten alive by its own nightmares…

"What happened to him?" Natalia asked, hand covering her mouth in shock. Nearly everyone had seemed stunned by the situation, apart from Jade, who stood calmly in acknowledgement of what he'd just witnessed.

"Most likely another connection with Asch. No matter, we'll talk to the general at the Malkuth consulate tomorrow morning. For now, Luke will need rest, no matter how desperate he is to continue to Akzeriuth when he wakes." The colonel paused, a knowing glance at the redhead unseen by the others due to the glare off of his glasses. "Take him to the inn, Guy. We'll stay here until tomorrow."

"Should we get a doctor?" Tear inquired, concern somehow managing to grace her features, despite the fact that she near-constantly disagreed with the boy.

"He's seen a doctor in Baticul. No one's been able to explain these headaches, these voices…" Guy's answer faded into silence, an equally worried look upon his own face as he slung his friend over his shoulder, and began padding away toward the inn.

"If the doctors in Baticul were unable to do anything for him, I doubt the doctors in Chesedonia will," Jade remarked, turning to face Tear. The brunette nodded solemnly, swallowed thickly, and then proceeded to follow Guy into the building behind the small group. Natalia nodded respectfully, but she in turn also took her leave, following the other three; Mieu bounced along at her feet, leaving the Malkuthian solider in the presence of the Fon Master and his guardian.

"Will Luke be alright, colonel?" Anise asked, clutching the arms of Tokunaga over her shoulders.

"I believe he will recover, at least from this incident." Anise looked down upon hearing that answer, but she too slowly nodded, and then proceeded to walk away. Ion followed, an unreadable expression upon his face.

Jade took a few steps. Stopped. Took a few more. Stopped. He sat down upon a rather poorly constructed bench in front of the tavern, crossed his legs, and allowed a restless mind to do its work, almost as though of its own accord, separate from the brown-haired man's conscious thoughts. He couldn't admit that he was not concerned for Luke's health, though he still resented the boy, really. Yet some part of him did demand consideration, despite his more obvious flaws. _Mostly flaws. That boy is composed of mostly flaws. _

Jade gazed upon the bustling streets of Chesedonia as he'd done before, at the oasis, staring out at the sunken Zao Ruins. Reasons, second-guesses, logic, theories, half-answered questions – they all cycled through his head, and, though he would most admirably deny it, there was a blend of emotion to some degree, swirling around in that mess of a mindscape.

"Excuse me, sir?"

The colonel was always thankful for those interrupting voices, those which prevented him from delving too deep into something he'd surely regret thinking about. Gentle, half-lidded crimson eyes found a small, blond-haired boy at his side. His visitor was not yet five years of age, Jade would guess, but he had a certain air of maturity about him: one, Jade would also guess, the result of having lived on the streets for several years.

"How may I help you, young man?" The Necromancer returned, the corners of his lips tugging upwards.

"I have something for you," the boy answered simply, reaching a hand to dig around in the pocket of his too-large tunic. It was the only garment the boy wore, besides a thin, silver chain around his neck. Eventually, he produced a note, crumpled and covered in dirt, and pushed into Jade's awaiting palm. The elder grinned a bit wider, nodding his head appreciatively. In a sudden rush, the boy began to run, but Jade would have none of that…

"Young man, please, stop." The colonel rose to his feet, burying his own hands within the pocket of his military uniform. "Something for your troubles." He produced a fine little purse of velvet and gold-trim, the ridiculously expensive kind that Peony thought would be a wonderful gift for the Malkuthian, considering his usually awful sense of fashion. Jade would've reached inside to produce a few gald, normally, but the somewhat unexpected feeling the sight of the child invoked begged the better part of him to act, and he dropped the entirety of the little bag and its contents into the boy's hands. "Now, run along," Jade cooed, the false-sweetness returning at once.

The youth was quick to follow his orders, disappearing around a corner before the elder could decide to take back all he'd given. Jade chuckled; glad he'd done something for the child, though not completely sure why he felt the way he did. _Perhaps it would be something worth investigating in the future… ah, well. No matter. _

Gloved hands worked carefully to rid the piece of paper he'd been given of its balled shape, eyes skirting over the words as they emerged in an order of nonsense. Eventually, when the sheet was flat, at least to some degree, Jade leaned against the nearest building and read.

_Chesedonia outskirts, northern side, tonight. 11:00. We've something to discuss. _

"Something to…?" Jade felt the pit of his stomach suddenly give way, eyes twitching as they gazed upon the familiar curves of the 's' and the sharp prongs of the 'w'…

"Damn it all…"

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**Help meeeee~! Haha. Anyhow, criticism and whatnot is appreciated. Chapter 7 should be up by Wednesday, or Thursday... depending on my mood.**


	7. Ambiguity

**Author's Note: I apologize for the release of this chapter taking a bit longer than I anticipated. I originally planned to have it out last night, and that turned into this morning, and that turned into "something in the late evening hours". Anywho, here is the seventh installment. **

* * *

Jade Curtiss normally found dinner with his comrades to be an entertaining event, for there was always bickering to be done, seemingly pointless arguments the Malkuthian solider found endless delight in. Tear and Luke would always start it, and it most definitely against the nature of both Anise and Natalia to keep quiet. Guy would always attempt to negotiate, never defending one side over the other, until someone (and, usually, it was Luke) said something unbearably stupid, and he had to disagree with that person. Ion was the picture of innocence, concerned glances the only form of communication he seemed capable of at moments like these. And then there was Mieu, who'd occasionally raise his voice in that annoying high-pitched shriek, and cause a momentary halt in conversation. It was during these pauses the colonel usually found himself chuckling.

But tonight, there was a surprising absence of his amusement.

Jade sat at the far end of the table, a steaming cup of red tea the sole occupation of the space before him. He glanced over the rims of his glasses, red eyes narrowed, cold and calculating. It was as though nothing the others murmured reached him – an invisible barrier surrounded him, allowing him to become entranced with only the dull liquid sitting in front of him. Tentatively, he reached forward, raising the tiny cup to his lips. The sips were slow, measured, and drawn very much out of a non-conscious state of mind. It was very, very unlike Jade Curtiss.

"Colonel, are you alright? You haven't said a word," Anise remarked, nervousness obvious as the military man's eyes met with her own. They were two wells of dark brown, shaking, unsteady, all because he was silent. Jade, however, had been faced with far worse than this; and so he drew a faux smile across his lips quite hurriedly, looking rather smug as he did so.

"I'm fine, Anise. I would, however, be rather concerned for Guy at the moment. It seems as though he's having _far _too much fun with Princess Natalia." Of course, Natalia was leaning over the blond servant, who was absolutely frozen in fear, only so that she could more adequately screech at Tear.

"Oh, brother," Anise murmured. She was immediately sucked into that void of stupidity again, leaving Jade with only Ion smiling in his direction. The green-haired teen offered a plate of bread to the colonel, who shook his head in quiet decline. The Fon Master's smile weakened; worry washed over deep, forest green eyes. Those same eyes followed Jade as he stood, nodded in polite excuse, and then removed himself from the table without another sound.

_I shouldn't be going through with this at all. It will only rekindle those ties of bad blood Peony worked so hard to be rid of… all of the connections destroyed… who am I to forge them once more?_

He wished that he could've found an answer far sooner than the current moment. Brown-hair tousled and red eyes now finally displaying the first signs of the elder's age he'd joked about on countless occasions – Jade was a wrecked man of absolute past and absolute punishment. He would be charged for his sins, and it was in this state he wished so desperately not to meet his caller. Perhaps even more infuriatingly, the colonel had that choice. An internal battle which had spanned the course of years was now drawing to a close all within a single day.

A blue-clad hand reached up for the door to the inn, a stray glance at the grandfather clock beside the exit informing him that he was not due for another thirty minutes. Bated breath found its way to escape parted lips, displeasure obvious in an expression which now sank into a soft frown. Pressing lightly against the splintered wood, Jade made his escape into the cool night air, Chesedonia's nighttime markets booming with nearly as much life as the daytime ones.

"Jade?" Another familiar voice caused reality to come crashing back down upon him once more, and the colonel turned, standing at attention as he raised a questioning brow at the man who'd stopped him: one Guy Cecil. "Jade, where are you going _now_? You're always telling us about how rest is important – this is hardly the time to-"

"Ah, I see. Turning my own logic against me," Jade replied, careless tone causing Guy to visibly flinch.

"Well Luke's just recovered, and you're always… here, in the evening hours… to, y'know, um, enforce-"

"To tuck you all in at night. Yes, I'm aware. You'll just have to tell them all to be big girls and boys whilst I'm away. I have something to attend to."

"Something to-"

"Oh, dear – this is unlike you, Guy. Far too prying for my liking."

"I guess it's not my place, but-"

"You're perfectly right. It isn't."

With that, Jade bowed his head in leave, and did just that. He stalked off into the bustling streets of Chesedonia, hands buried deep within the pockets of his uniform as he shoved by the first row of people, and out of the blond's sight. Guy swallowed hard, twisting his head in attempt to keep the abnormally tall man within his field of view, only to find himself failing miserably. Jade was gone, and there would be no finding him with this mess of vendors and buyers. With a defeated sigh, the servant cast one final glance over his shoulder, and began trotting back toward the inn. He waited until he could hear the argument from within, slipping back inside once he was certain that all members present were fully immersed in 'conversation'.

To his dismay, the conversation came to a complete halt once he entered. Guy blinked at the small dining room's occupants, knotting his hands together behind his back.

"Where'd you go?" Luke asked, leaning nonchalantly onto the table, and, predictably, into a serving of mashed potatoes. He didn't seem to care, or rather, was playing it off as such.

"I went to talk to Jade. He's-" Guy stopped himself, knowing all too well the suspicious nature of the group which he was a part of. "He's going out to buy supplies."

"Supplies? But I restocked our inventory this morning," Tear offered, shaking her head.

"Ah, he said he had, uh, something important to pick up from one of the vendors."

"Oh, like a great deal on some rare items for us?" Anise asked, visibly perking up. Guy smiled and nodded, this apparently proving to be sufficient explanation for the others, as they all immediately returned to insulting one another's intelligence – beginning with the fact that a certain redhead's elbow still remained firmly planted in a bowl of potatoes. The servant swallowed thickly, again, and returned to his seat without another word.

~…~

Jade Curtiss wound through countless alleyways, intuition his sole guide in the quest to find out the outskirts of the city. Not surprisingly, instinct was guiding him along the shortest route, and also the one with the fewest occupants. He turned about a corner, vanishing beneath a vendor's tend and reappearing on the other side in a mere second – long legs proved useful when you needed to be somewhere rather quickly.

The colonel ended up by the sea, and, using a directional fonstone tucked away in his pocket, considered his position. Indeed, he was just north of the city, gazing out into the Chesedonian Bay; at the moment, the port was devoid of ships, most likely due to the large shipments of weaponry and armor heading to both Grand Chokmah and Baticul. Silver starlight reflected from perfectly clear water, moon hanging, a half-crescent in the sky… it was too picturesque. For Jade Curtiss, this was positively too _cliché. _

"I see you've made it."

That voice was, as it came once more, unmistakable, and it made the colonel's stomach twist. Suddenly, the stars and the moon mattered not, the scene mattered not – the only thing that he cared about right now was the hooded figure standing to his right. Jade turned to face his company, slipping both hands from his pockets.

"So I have."

There was another uncomfortable pause, Jade's eyes narrowing even further, 'til only slits of red remained. He reached up, slipping the glasses from his face, and toyed with them in an outstretched hand. His company snorted disapprovingly, before tossing their head back, and with it, the hood of their cloak. A great mess of darkened gold tangles spilled forth, partial braids and single, twisted stands climbing down to the stranger's knees.

She stood there in all her glory, piercing gaze boring into his, though both refused to look away from the almost painful stare-down. Her eyes were yellowed, jaundiced, unhealthy – cat-like in the dull light of Chesedonia's markets and the half-empty moon. Her skin was pale – too-pale, Jade would note – and she looked as though she'd neared the brink of death one too many times. She cleared her throat as his eyes began to wander away from her face and search for other signs of weakness.

"…if I said I was glad to see you, I'd be lying."

A low chuckle, almost resembling a growl, emerged from Jade's throat.

"I'm afraid I must return the sentiment, Lyra."

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**And that's all for now. This was really hard to write, and the next chapter will be even harder to write, because now I have to get all of this complicated dialogue out of the way. Yep, you basically just read a chapter of me avoiding complex dialogue... I'm awful, aren't I? XD**


	8. Obliged

**Author's Note: First off, forgive me if I don't have un update ready by Monday. This chapter took far, far, far too long to write. It hurt my head the entire time I was trying to reason through it, so forgive me for the general feeling of senselessness throughout the second half. I accomplished what I had to; if I gather enough effort, maybe I'll revise this later on. **

* * *

"Guy? Are you awake?"

"…what is it, Luke?"

"I can't sleep."

"…alright. Let's go."

Guy was almost too accustomed to this by now: Luke wouldn't be able to sleep, because just that day, a traumatic incident had occurred. This had all started when the redhead couldn't get over the fact that on this journey, killing people would be necessary. Since that evening, he'd asked Guy to take him to the outskirts of whatever city or town they were staying in, and practice swordplay. Of course, his servant would oblige him, but at the cost of losing a few hours of valuable sleep – a small price to pay for his master's continued cooperation and improvement in fighting.

Tonight's sparring session was no doubt the result of Asch's earlier intrusion upon his body. The God-General had not only spoken to Luke, but controlled him; he'd made him take a sword up against Tear, as though he were some puppet to the God-Generals' wishes. Obviously, the young master was shaken, and needed some consoling.

It did not take the two boys long to find their way out of the city – Guy had always had an excellent sense of direction – and the blond found himself regretfully displaced from his bed. A long sigh, and the blond swung the sword at his side free from its sheath. "Let's make this a quick one, okay, Luke? We have a long day of travelling tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine with me. Get ready."

And there was Luke, swinging his blade wildly at Guy, who – without much effort – was able to successfully parry each blow. The redhead's strikes were growing more powerful and accurate, he'd note, though he could still do nothing against an opponent who simply took the time to observe his moves and act accordingly. "No, you're too slow," Guy chanted, side-stepping from the thrust of the other's blade. The tip of his more epee-like sword was then at the younger's throat, a foot pinning the other's blade to the sandy earth.

"Damn it," Luke muttered, yanking furiously upon the hilt of his sword. "Okay, okay, Guy. I get the point. Let me have my sword back."

The blond did so with a sleepy grin, letting the weapon fly upward as soon as his foot was displaced. Luke struggled to regain control, but within the next few seconds, was ready to try charging him again; to no one's surprise, the result was remarkably similar. "Luke, you need to work up on your speed. Or your predictability. And since speed is easier to work with, let's start with that, okay?"

"I am not predictable!"

"Luke." The firm note which was not often heard in Guy's voice was enough to set the redhead straight. He reeled away from the servant, taking a long breath before nodding and trying again. This time, his attempts were significantly more well-constructed, footwork suddenly becoming a larger factor to Guy's dodging than simple instinct. He parried thrusts and swings for roughly five minutes, before he finally moved to make an advance of his own, and knocked Luke's sword free from his hands. The teen scrambled for his weapon, but did not manage to recollect it before the other's blade had been turned upon his throat once more.

"That was better though, right?" Luke whined, pushing away the tip of his teacher's sword in protest.

"Better. Still not terrific, but much better. That's enough for tonight, Luke. We have an early start and a long day tomorrow." Guy sheathed his blade, and watched Luke to the same with a look of childlike disappointment, as though he had just had a toy taken away from him for misbehaving. "Now, now, Luke, don't pout. It doesn't suit you."

"Oh, shut up," the redhead murmured.

"Heh. Well, anyway, let's go back to the inn."

"I'm going, alright?!" A high tone of annoyance allowed Guy to take a step back, knowing that Luke needed his space when he got into these 'moods'. Immediately following this declaration, the younger started stomping back toward the city, leaving Guy to simple shake his head. The blond watched him go, reaching up to clear tired eyes of the sleep which still crusted the corners. As his vision returned to him, becoming clearer as black blotches dissipated, the servant caught a glimmer of silver along the rooftop nearest him. He cocked his head, turning slightly to watch a curious figure disappear from the end of a building, seemingly dropping without second thought. Instinctively, Guy broke into a run, wanting to know if the fallen person had been injured.

"Hey, are you-" He rounded the corner; no one was there. There were, however, two figures standing at the far end of this alleyway, just far enough from the city to avoid attracting the attention of any passerby.

And one of them was most undoubtedly Jade Curtiss.

~…~

The silent duel between the two who now stood in company could've compared to actual combatants attempting to end one another's lives. Jade's stance was proud, seemingly doubtless, though a great deal of that very emotion lingered high in his chest, where it produced a constant, aching pain. Lyra, as she'd been called, stood in disapproval of their meeting, shoulders hunched forward and gaze redirected firmly at the ground. She stood four or five inches shorter than he, and Jade remembered this difference in height not as the tactical advantage it was now, but as a mere difference between two soldiers.

"You've let yourself go, Lyra," he commented deftly, twisting his neck at an angle most uncomfortable such that he could look out to the sea. This was not really his reason for doing so – he held no interest in the sea – Jade simply was interested as to whether or not his caller would attempt to strike him down, taking note of the pale flesh now exposed. Her eyes did drift there momentarily, and he caught that too. But her focus seemed to swift back to the sand beneath her feet remarkably fast for one who was truly interested in killing.

"A test, colonel?" she asked, the words falling almost silently from her lips. The elder flinched, turning himself fully toward her and setting the ocean and stars aside. She looked so wronged, so ragged, and frankly, quite lifeless. She was clad only in that black cloak, the pale flesh of bare feet and legs all too evident to an astute military man.

"Indeed. And if you would be so kind, drop the formality. It's no longer proper."

"Have you been demoted, then?" she pushed, flecks of anger plainly visibly in awful, agony-ridden eyes.

"No. The title is simply not proper due to your-"

"Dismissal from the military. I'm aware."

Silence settled itself once more between them, an unwanted guest, because it seemed as though it had dragged Tension along to the gathering as well. This was certainly something Jade did not want. He shifted ever so slightly, twining fingers together behind his back, eventually settling hands at his sides after a great deal of needless movement.

"Fidgeting, colonel?" Lyra questioned, ignoring his previous request. His only answer was a stern glare – before he settled into that grin which was all too familiar to the woman before him.

"Nothing of the sort. Another test. You failed." This statement was met with a groan of disapproval, and a shake of the blonde's head. "Why are you here?" Jade furthered inquired. "And why've you summoned me?"

"…I'm not so sure that I want to tell you anymore, colonel."

"Tedious riddles will get us nowhere fast, because frankly, I'm not in the mood for games tonight, Lyra." The colonel acted more quickly than any of his party would've imagined possible for the eldest member of their brigade, and instantly had produced his spear. Its tip poked into the thin silk fabric of his companion's cloak. Lyra, however, merely chuckled.

"Colonel Curtiss? Not in the mood for games? That's new. You know, I-"

"I asked why you were here."

There was another pause: longer than the first, and the second, and then longer than the two combined. Lyra stood frozen, though it was evidently not in fear, as she actually pressed her chest outward and into the blade of the weapon Jade held. He retracted it automatically, sensing the gal of his company. She would've actually hurt herself had it not been for his swift reaction. They watched each other carefully for what seemed to be an hour, before Lyra's lips finally parted, and with a soft breath, uttered not but six simple words.

"…I have a debt to pay."

"A debt?" Jade took a step backward, mind reeling at the connotation her words had carried.

"Yes," came her simpler reply.

"To whom?"

Jade Curtiss had spent a great deal of his life building up a wall. A wall, a shield, which protected him from personalization, from losses and gains, from achievements and failures. The carefully constructed shell he continually bore was not but a mask of indifference, but indifference itself. With years of practice, he'd managed to replicate that feeling, and without the help of fomicry – Jade Curtiss was man of reason and rationality, and would not allow such a weak trifling as emotions present him with need for concern. He allowed himself to remain inside that shield, where the walls which he faced were completely bare, and he needed not deal with the ties and connections others he knew had to the outside world – the world on the other side of those impenetrable walls.

"…to you, Necromancer."

At once, those walls came crashing down.

"...you owe me nothing."

"Oh, but, regrettably, I do."

Her words rang with such truth that Jade couldn't deny them. He could not shove her away now, not when she had pledged to some act against him, and having not seen the other for eight years… the worse part of the colonel's mind wondered vaguely what act it had been.

"For what are you indebted?" Jade asked – a reasonable, safe question, he believed.

"…I cannot tell you what for, colonel. Only that I am in your debt. I owe you my life twice over."

"Your… your life?!" Red eyes suddenly became much wider, not in surprise, exactly, but perhaps something closer resembling horror. "Y-you can't possibly mean-"

"My life is in your hands."

"…my _Gods_, Lyra, what's happened to you?!"

"What's happened to you, colonel? Why've you not run me through with your spear by now?"

"I-I wasn't-"

"Weren't you looking for a reason to spill my blood? To slice me right up the middle?!" She made a gruesome imitation of the action, one which Jade's vivid imagination interpreted all too closely to reality. He could see the substance coagulating on his hands, rich with red and his torn blue gloves, and then, his own fingers dripping and curling within her bowels – her near-lifeless form shrieking in exhaustion and agony, torment and torture –

"No, Lyra. I will not."

"…what?"

"I refuse to take your life." His voice was perfectly calm, unwavering, despite the nightmare which had emerged before his eyes only seconds before. Jade was trying his best to be reasonable, to suggest an easier way for his companion to repay her debt. He, most unfortunately, could not think of one.

"Colonel, you don't understand. I-I…"

"Cannot tell me that which you've done. So why should you be indebted to me?"

"Because I have committed an act against you."

"So pay for your actions in prison. I will consider the debt paid if you do that."

_Much better, Jade. Quite reasonable. _

"It is neither the Malkuth Empire nor His Majesty to whom I am sorry."

"But if you are truly in my debt, then you will do what I ask of you, will you not? Now, I hereby place you under arrest, as a lawman of the Malkuth Empire. You will travel with me to Grand Chokmah to await sentencing. Clear? I am first on my way to Akzeriuth with an emissary of peace from Kimlasca. You will, therefore, accompany me there, and then proceed to the capital city once my business there is finished. I will not turn you into the consulate for fear that you'd kill the governor-general."

"Wise decision, colonel."

Jade hated the note of mockery in Lyra's voice, but wordlessly reached out and grabbed her arm. The shock and electricity which pulsed through him as he gripped her bare flesh was unexplainable, and so the military man ignored it, before producing his spear in his unoccupied hand. "You use the same system of fonon-summoning for your sword as I do for my spear, so this shouldn't take long," he explained, casually running the tip of the spear along her raised veins. A thin, pale green line of light suddenly appeared from the weapon's point, and it fused to the end of a similar-looking red one protruding slightly from her flesh. Once the process was finished, Jade retreated, turning his back and beginning to walk briskly in the other direction. "Let's go."

Lyra, though not understanding what exactly what had happened, realized very soon that if she was not within the colonel's immediate vicinity of roughly thirty feet, she would be forcefully pulled forward – most likely due to that invisible fonon string. She cursed, pulling too-long blonde locks over one shoulder as she strode just behind him.

"…I'll ask that you stay out of my way, once we begin our travels. I must also ask you to not associate with my companions," Jade urged, not bothering to even look at her as he spoke.

"Well, I suppose I'll let you handle the one who's following us then, right?"

The blond servant trailing just behind the colonel and the former stranger stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly beginning to shake.

"I, uh, Jade-"

"Don't, Guy. This is still none of your business."

* * *

**That hurt. So much. I hope the dialogue was clear enough to follow... dialogue tends to be my weakness, and... bleh. I didn't kill Jade's character completely, did I? o.O **


	9. Wayward

**Author's Note: This chapter might be a bit painful to work your way through. I apologize beforehand. It's mainly for the sake of character development... with a tad bit of plot thrown in. I have to wonder if anyone reading this has figured out what Lyra's relation to Jade was...**

* * *

"Jade, that wasn't what I said. I want to know _who _she is and _why _she's here."

"I'm afraid that is information confidential to the Malkuth Imperial Forces. I am not at liberty to say. I can tell you only that she wishes to be called Lyra."

"Well, I'm the ambassador, and I say you have to tell me!"

Lyra stiffened in her seat across from the fiery tempered redhead, turning away from him due to his boisterous nature. Eyes which had glazed over in the thin rays of morning sunlight still watched him with due caution, having taken note of the sword ever-present at his back. The former soldier still waited and watched as though she'd never been dismissed, the only difference in her presence now the severe detachment between herself and the colonel.

"Luke, I assure you that she'll be no trouble. She's capable of defending herself in battle, unlike you, and she's only going as far as Akzeriuth with us. Once our business there in complete, you shall return to Baticul, whereas I will be taking her to Grand Chokmah with me." Jade caught a trembling Guy in the corner of his vision, and knew that the servant to household Fabre knew far too much for his own good. A deep sigh filled the tense atmosphere, and heavy-lidded red eyes drew closed. Luke was still fuming, undeniably, though everyone else seemed to be facing the situation quite calmly. Of course, it was Tear who broke the silence next, only to extend a hand to the prisoner of the colonel's will.

"Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants, of the Oracle Knights Intelligence Division." Lyra's eyes barely shifted, granting the younger girl the minimal token of recognition. Nevertheless, once she'd been given an approving nod by Jade, the blonde reached forward and grasped the brunette's hand.

"Lyra," she commented dully, dismissing the hand almost as suddenly as she'd taken it.

"Have you no title or surname, Lyra?" Tear questioned, piercing blue eyes meeting lackluster yellow.

"Not anymore," came the low response, the blonde tilting her head away from Tear once more.

"I'm Natalia," the other blonde female in the room piped. "Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear." Lyra only shook her head, and the princess could've sworn she heard a breathy chuckle from the seated woman's mouth.

"Royalty, hmm?" Her gaze fell upon the heiress to the throne, a sour look of disapproval upon her maw.

"I am not to be addressed as such," Natalia offered, standing a little straighter.

"Of course you aren't." The bitter, near-malicious sarcasm hung in the air for a shade too long, and so Guy stirred in his corner rather uncomfortably.

"I'm Guy Cecil, a servant to the Kimlascan household Fabre."

"We've met," Lyra responded, leaning back in her chair with a rather bored expression.

"Anise Tatlin." The sudden proclamation from the young, brown-haired girl was accompanied by the offering of a hand, which the elder blonde woman took with a slight grin. "Fon Master Guardian, first division of the Oracle Knights."

"How cute," came the predictably snarky remark.

"And I'm Ion, Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei." With this declaration, Lyra's interest actually peaked, and she tuned in her chair to face the green-haired teen. The expression upon her face changed for a short moment, before she settled into calm amusement once more.

"A pleasure, I'm sure."

Her further remarks were cut short by a certain redhead turning around abruptly, and thrusting a hand into the blonde's face. His gaze was equally unreadable as hers, though annoyance was a clear factor in his stance. A second hand remained plastered to the hilt of the sword which hung at his back, fingers nervously curling and uncurling about it.

"Luke fon Fabre, Kimlascan ambassador and heir to the throne. I'm leading this expedition."

Lyra pushed his hand away with an undignified snort. "I believe you've done enough to earn your position in my eyes, Master Fabre."

"That's enough," Jade whispered, low voice resounding only within the vicinity of himself, Lyra, and Luke. Luke pulled away sharply, a scowl evident upon his face before he turned away and toward the door. A hand fumbled violently with the handle, before he was finally able to step into the stifling outside air with a hiss. The door slammed shut behind him, and Ion visibly jumped – he was the only one to do so.

"I don't suppose he's going to the Malkuth consulate like he's supposed to," Tear ventured, shrugging at the colonel.

"I certainly hope not. With an attitude like that, he'd probably soil my good name as a Malkuthian solider," Jade remarked. The members of the party looked uncertainly between one another, waiting for someone to react to that statement; someone had yet to figure out just when Jade was joking, and when he was serious. The newcomer, however, stirred in her chair, a breathy laugh escaping barely-parted lips. The colonel's eyes creaked open, red meeting yellow for a split second. The elder man then stood, clearing his throat. "We should retrieve him before he does something remarkably stupid, which shouldn't take him long… so let us hurry."

"Right. Once we've got him, we'll just head on out to the consulate from there," Anise chirped.

The group didn't take long to gather their belongings from their respective rooms, and soon had met in the lobby of the small inn. Tear was packing up the last of the foodstuffs she'd purchased from the man behind the bar, and looked up when Jade entered the room with Lyra trailing just behind him. The brown-haired man cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, and then set about fixing his gloves as he spoke.

"I've some final business to attend to with Astor. Lyra will accompany me. You all should find Luke, and prepare to meet me at the consulate. Understood?"

"Of course," Natalia responded, slinging bow and quiver over her shoulder. "Let's get going then."

Guy, Tear, and Anise followed the Kimlascan princess as she sauntered out of the inn, leaving Lyra in the unwanted company of solely Jade Curtiss. He did that _thing_ she hated again, barely locking eyes with her before turning away, as though he was disgusted with what she'd become. It was true that she was far bonier and paler than she'd like to have admitted, and, yes, her eyes were discolored from the sickness which plagued her tiny form for years now, but… that _look_… she detested that more than the ailments themselves.

"If you would, colonel, stop looking at me like that," she voiced, a quiet plea which she would have preferred to go unheard, really.

"Like what?" Jade countered, that awful, damnable smile plastered upon his own pale face.

"Ugh, never mind it. We're going to Astor's palace, right?"

"No, not really." The colonel turned from her, opened the door opposite the one his companions had taken their leave from, and stepped outside. He beckoned for her to follow, and with a raised brow, Lyra did, gathering her lengthy tangles of hair and shoving them beneath the dipped-neck of her cloak. Then he began walking again, begging her to follow through a more forced approach; she really was beginning to hate that string of fonons which bound her concealed weapon to his.

"Might I ask where exactly we _are_ going, then?" Lyra grumbled, taking her place beside the colonel. He stepped forward a little, keeping himself the slightest distance in front of her – that in itself was almost ironic, as though he were still testing her resolve not to kill him.

"Shopping." Jade didn't look at her this time when he spoke, merely turned a corner, and expected her to follow. She did so, feeling like a dog nipping at his heels as she piped up, a bit louder this time.

"Shopping, colonel? Really?" The bite of annoyance was enough for him to stop, glaring at her briefly.

"Yes. You see, most people don't go wandering about in cloaks. Or rather, what is now a poor excuse for one. Moreover, I refuse to be seen with you in such a state."

"…you really haven't changed one bit, colonel."

"As opposed to you, Lyra. You're hardly the soldier I once knew."

That comment seemed to be enough to quiet her, Lyra turning away from him as his stare set in for a period of time which was far too long. She cast her eyes down, and almost seemed to bow at the face of the military-man before her. She resented the uniform he wore, and he knew that all too well – it really was more than just a bit cruel to use that stance and that status against her now, but… _No, Jade. It doesn't matter. It cannot be helped._

They moved silently into one of the vendor's districts, a shadier, out-of-the-way sort of place than those stands in broad daylight. The tents here were smaller in size, though still posed as many choices for buyers as those just outside the alleyway. Lyra eyed each of the sellers here cautiously, noting that each was a male, and detesting those who had an eye for weaknesses – particularly how scrawny she seemed. Jade tugged her along with a shortened length of the fonic thread, the blonde tumbling into a corner-pole of one stand once he halted himself.

"Why, hello there." One of the two men who owned his tent was sauntering toward her, and Lyra straightened instinctively. "Might there be somethin' you's looking for?" He had tiny, coal-black eyes and a thick beard which accentuated tanned flesh. Thankfully, Lyra was taller than the average female, and used her advantage of two inches over him to raise an eyebrow in inquiry. She opened her mouth, and prepared a sharp, witty answer, but never received the chance to utter such words. Colonel Curtiss made sure of that.

"My companion here needs new clothes for our journey ahead." The blonde tilted her head back to try and catch a glimpse of the brown-haired man's eyes, any symbol of direct recognition, but he looked only upon the merchant before them. Lyra found it almost infuriating, more-so than she had before, these strange changes in the man's personality. Of course, she could question whether or not he actually _had_ a definite personality, but that would be an argument best saved for another time.

"Oh? And what exactly are you's looking for?" the man asked, now eyeing the younger woman with a look of… was that _envy_? Oh, no, that certainly wasn't plausible, and –

"Something suitable for travel. Light and protective." Once again, Jade's answer to the vendor's question came long before she could formulate a response.

"Right then. Come with me."

Lyra suddenly found herself being dragged forward and into the darker depths of the small tent. She soon lost sight of Jade, who was, as much as she hated to admit it, the only beckon of safety she knew in this dank and sordid place. The people here were truly disgusting, and she couldn't help but think that the colonel knew that, and that he'd only brought her here because he was in fact a sadist. _Perhaps that's why he let me live,_ she mused. The colonel, even after such a long period of separation from her, still apparently enjoyed those minor boughs of her personal suffering he was able to bring about. The blonde cursed him as she was roughly pushed into a curtained changing area, various articles of clothing shoved inward upon her by a grimy hand.

"Thank you," she offered, taking the clothes rather cautiously from the outstretched palm. With a hearty glare sent to the man outside the small area for good measure, Lyra stripped herself of the torn cloak she adorned, and stepped into something more substantial. The blonde emerged looking much healthier, having bathed that morning at the inn.

Jade raised a brow at her choice in clothing. Whereas Natalia, Anise, and even Tear all adorned functional outfits that were at least slightly feminine, Lyra stood there in full-length pants, buckled black boots, and a deep crimson top stitched up to her neck. Functional, yes, but certainly more deterring of the eye than the clothing of any of the colonel's other female allies. It also seemed that Lyra had refused to completely abandon her black cloak, as it was now twisted into a sash about her too-thin waist. The colonel said nothing as she took her place behind him; his payment was silent also, and then the two were headed back toward the central part of the city.

"There's one more thing you need to do," Jade eventually said, pausing before they'd reached the square housing the Malkuth consulate. He turned to face her, amusement suddenly glimmering in his eyes and evident in another one of his damn smiles. "If you would please, cut your hair."

"…excuse me?"

"Cut your hair. There's no use in having it practically dragging the ground, especially in battle. Besides, it's matted and tangled with no hope of recovery. Be rid of it."

"Are you testing me again, colonel?"

"Not at all. You needn't cut all of it off, just enough to make you a more worthwhile investment in battle."

"So now I'm not only a prisoner, but a worthless investment?"

"At the moment." Jade, despite the cold comment which produced a visible flinch in his companion, didn't miss a beat. He produced a short, thin knife from within his jacket, a ceremonial-type thing bestowed upon him by His Majesty. "Also, you'll want to avoid recognition by Malkuth soldiers once we cross the border. I'm certain that there's a crime or two you've committed that they could actually arrest you in earnest for."

"There's nothing!" Lyra protested, stepping away from the knife in his hand.

"Of course. So the act you've committed against me isn't a crime?"

"…give me that." Lyra reached for the blade, drawing its sharp edge into her palm. She was bleeding now, not that she seemed to care; if looks could've killed, Jade most certainly would've been dead by now – _or perhaps not dead, _she thought, _but suffering, just like me: a taste of his own medicine. _The blonde reached up behind her head, and grabbed the entirety of her golden locks in one fist. She brought the tangles and braids over her shoulder, and with a swift flick of the knife, was suddenly rid of the vast majority of her hair. It now hung just above her breast, and though neater now, was still frayed from the unforgiving use of the crude instrument.

Lyra dropped the broken and severed locks of hair at her feet, the mess disposed of by a simple use of the fifth fonon on Jade's part. She didn't look down; she'd refuse him the pleasure of showing her frailty at a time like this. Instead, she shoved the blade back at him, being sure to cut the inside of his thumb when the exchange was made. Predictably enough, the colonel smiled.

"Well then, now that we've cleared that up, let's be on our way."

* * *

**Okay, so, you're probably thinking: "Oh, how unoriginal. Lyra cut her hair. She's probably going to change her personality and blah blah blah cliche." No, I really didn't do this to display parallelism between her and Luke. In fact, the only reason I did this was to display the poor state of Lyra's life prior to the colonel's interference. She let her hair grow out, tangled and _matted. _She was hurting. That's all I wanted to portray. Anywho, see ya next time!**


	10. Brutality

**Author's Note: This was a fun chapter to write. I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far! I plan to update again on Saturday.**

* * *

The morning sun to the north of Chesedonia was not as brutal as that to the south, but still enough to warrant the complaint of Luke, who, most unfortunately, was also leading the party in a fairly unrelenting manner. They trudged along the greens just to the west of the Chesedonian Mountain Range, entering and exiting forests faster than most would've thought possible. The redhead found himself at the head of the group, closely followed by both Guy and Tear; Anise and Natalia flanked Ion, and Jade had taken his usual position at the back of the group. Not surprisingly, Lyra lagged as far behind as she was able, the occasional pull of the colonel's fonon-chain causing her to speed up. Mieu hopped about everyone's feet, but never drew particularly close to their newest addition.

"I just remembered… didn't the mining road to Akzeriuth's southern side close after Kimlasca turned it over to Malkuth?" Natalia asked, turning her head toward anyone who'd answer.

"Yeah. Any major transport along that road stopped years ago," Guy answered, kicking a stone as he did so. "But it hasn't been blocked off, and since it's the only suitable way through the mountains, that's the way we're going."

"Great. Mountains." Luke cast his eyes down, shaking his head in aggravation. "Deserts, forests, and now mountains."

"I thought you were glad to be out of your manor," Tear countered, glaring sternly at the redhead.

"I didn't say anything about that! I'm just sick and tired of this… I didn't ask to be the emissary and-"

"You just need something to complain about, don't you, Luke?" Anise asked, rolling her eyes as she hopped along.

"Why you little-"

"I merely asked about the road…" Natalia trailed off, watching the chaos which had ensued from her rather minor inquiry. By now, the young Fon Master Guardian had abandoned her post beside Ion, and Luke was no longer at the head of the group. Tear was trying to intervene and prevent a full-scale war from breaking out between the two, and Guy was simply slowing his pace such that he could talk to someone who wasn't interested in argument.

"You never get tired of this, do you, Jade?" the blond questioned, strolling alongside the man in uniform. Jade let loose a throaty chuckle, bright eyes shining intensely behind the glare of his glasses as he cast a sidelong glance at Guy.

"No, never," he answered, voice hanging somewhere between seriousness and sarcasm.

"…so, um, Jade?"

"Now you're going to ask something I'd prefer not to answer. I can tell. Don't bother; it will merely be a waste of breath on your part."

"I'm sorry. It's just about what I overheard."

"I believe I've said this before, but I shall say it again for your sake." Jade turned such that he was facing the Kimlascan, normally amused expression turning gravely serious, if only for a moment. "Just as many of us here care not for discussions of our past, there are certainly things I'd rather avoid as well."

"But is she-"

"Enough, Guy. You needn't know anything about her. She is travelling to Grand Chokmah, and that is probably where she will remain the entire rest of her life."

"As your prisoner, but-"

"Enough." Red eyes narrowed dangerously now, and for a brief moment, Guy thought he saw a flicker of anger in those ghastly crimson orbs. The façade of a smile was enough to fool the servant though, brows raised and a dismissive shrug being given the next instant. The servant sighed, trotting away from the colonel, and returned to his place just behind Luke – their leader had by now returned to the head of the party, carrying a pace perhaps even brisker than before. The ambassador's anger was certainly a key factor in determining the group's pace.

It didn't take long for the unusual band of allies to reach the abandoned road Natalia had mentioned earlier. Guy seemed confident of his recognition of the trail's beginning, two large boulders placed most peculiarly on top of a leveled surface of rock. Their beginning was slow, but as the ascent continued, Luke only pressed them faster.

The road was still in fairly good condition, and, having been near-abandoned for the past several years, many found it surprising. The only three who weren't shocked were the men of the party – Guy apparently possessed substantial knowledge of the area, Jade was never phased by anything, and Luke was too stuck-up to appear phased by anything. Lyra didn't say anything one way or another, but grew suddenly wary as they passed a large oak tree.

"Something's not right," the blonde breathed, quickening her pace such that she no longer lagged so far behind the others.

"Hmm? Did you say something?" The colonel smiled at her, and, damn it, that was beginning to get really annoying. Lyra opened her mouth to answer, but the response was cut short as Ion suddenly collapsed upon bended knee. The blonde, against her better instinct, rushed to the Fon Master's side, quickly earning herself a righteous glare from Anise.

"Get away from Ion!" she yelled, though she was not quite so sure why. The dark-haired youth stepped in front of Lyra, the woman that was more than twice her age, and boldly stood up straight. Her eyes were narrowed, slits of near-black in the shadow of her bangs. The elder cocked her head to the side, a questioning look upon her maw.

"Lyra, come here." There was a tug of the rope, and the former solider came stumbling back to Jade's side. Her glare too, was righteous. The colonel only smiled, obviously beginning to enjoy the abusive properties of the fonic-bond. She stood where she was, eyes fixed upon the tiny female guardian who knelt in to attempt to help the Fon Master. It seemed as though the heat, in combination with the steep uphill march, had managed to render the teen exhausted, and thusly unable to move. Luke groaned and turned around from his position ahead of the group, having been the only one not to stop for Ion.

"What's the hold up? We need to get going!" The ambassador waved his arms furiously in the air, pausing only to rest hands upon his hips with a discontented scowl upon his face. He wore an almost-offensive expression, one which the other members of the party did not take kindly too, especially Anise. The thirteen-year old guardian stood again, own stance matching that of Luke.

"Ion's tired. We're stopping to rest." That said, she turned her attention back to the green-haired boy, rubbing his back and urging him to take deeper breaths.

"We don't have time for that," Luke complained, stepping toward the Fon Master.

"He's exhausted, and we're stopping." Anise didn't even look up.

"L-Luke's right… I-I'll be fine," Ion murmured, trying to press the child's hands away from his shoulders.

"No, Fon Master, you should rest," Tear reasoned, closing the distance between herself and the youth.

"Yeah, there's a lot more of this mountain to climb. We can't have you in any less than peak condition," Guy agreed.

"What'd you mean? He said he's fine, so let's go. We need to get to Akzeriuth!" The redhead stormed down the remainder of the slope he stood upon, stopping only when he was on ground level with the others.

"Luke, that's not the important thing right now." Natalia tried to lay a hand upon the teen's shoulder, but Luke pulled away with a greater frown upon his lips.

"Leave Ion and Anise here, then. They can take care of themselves. They're splitting from our group once we reach the other side of Deo Pass anyway, right?"

"That may be true, but we should provide the Fon Master with our aid as long as possible," Tear replied, stepping in front of the protesting Ion, who somehow was agreeing with the young ambassador.

"It doesn't matter! Master Van is-"

"Luke! Is that all you care about? Meeting up with Van?" Guy took a step toward Luke, becoming more defensive than the blond usually was accredited for.

"Well, yeah, because Master-"

"Luke, stop." Jade's voice cut through the bickering, allowing silence to settle between the members of their brigade. "I'm getting quite sick of this. You're talking as though you're nothing more than Van's dog. Think for yourself, or you may very well end up doing something you deeply regret." The solemn note of the eldest member's voice quieted everyone, Anise the only person daring to move during the uncomfortable and lengthy pause which hung in the air. She was evidently beginning to set up camp, unpacking her tiny bag and removing the necessary items for cooking.

"It's getting dark anyway, Luke. The sun will set in an hour or so. C'mon, let's rest." Guy's reasoning seemed to be something identifiable to Luke, and, though obviously displeased with the results of their altercation, settled himself against a nearby rock, face scrunched into a pout. The group quickly began to disperse, Natalia and Guy heading out to gather firewood, Tear and Anise beginning to set up bedrolls and ingredients for dinner, and Luke kicking Mieu around for no other purpose than to ease his boredom. Ion quickly found a suitable place to rest, amongst the partially-filled backpacks the party members had set down.

"Stupid, stupid…" Luke kicked a rock in anger, the tiny stone sailing through the air until it crashed into the large oak tree they'd just passed. Lyra flinched as it made contact, watching the branches of the tree suddenly shift. "Goddamn it…" There was another stone, larger this time, hitting the same mark. And then, then, Lyra was certain of it. The tree was moving toward Luke, a parted mouth of some sort, and gleaming orange eyes upon its trunk – branches were raised like fists ready to pummel the shorter redhead into the earth.

"Luke!" Tear's scream brought the attention of the redhead toward the moving tree, and he hurriedly drew his sword. Unfortunately, the giant trent then swung one of its branches at him, blade flashing in his hand before sailing behind a large boulder. Luke's eyes widened as he swore and dashed to the side, barely managing to escape the first blow. He turned himself over, stunned into a state of paralysis as he watched the massive creature loom over him. As fast as he was able, he shuffled away, unable to completely right himself. Soon, the trent caught up, knocked him face-forward into the ground. Another hit, and then Luke was looking up, staring at the mouth closing over his legs, and-

"Idiot!"

This time it wasn't Tear who came to his rescue. A glimmer of red concentrating in the palm of her hand, Lyra was suddenly rushing toward the fallen youth. Luke blinked once, and in the next instant, a glowing crimson blade had materialized in her hand. It held with it a strange, outer tint of green, which pulsed when she swung it to make contact with the beast. It was met with a loud clank, sharp edge cutting almost completely through one of the beast's branches. "Move!" Lyra yelled, stepping in front of Luke with blade held before her breast.

The creature attempted to lash out at its attacker, dull thuds against the sharp of the ex-soldier's weapon being met with only further damage to itself. Its actions eventually slowed, and Lyra took the offensive position once more, hacking into its trunk relentlessly. Slivers of wood came flying free from the beast's very core, a strange, thick sap oozing from within as it fell to shreds before the redhead's eyes. He backed up in horror at the sight, Lyra continuing to swing her blade well-past the point of the creature's mere defeat.

She stopped only when a pulp of sap-like blood and broken branches remained.

"Th-that's… s-sick," Luke gasped, pulling himself up with the help of a nearby rock. The beast was no more, true, but rather than leaving the carcass of the creature unharmed as the party usually did, Lyra had destroyed it. It no longer resembled something that once lived – only a few fragments of wood and disgusting brown liquid.

"What's wrong?" Lyra asked, dismissing her sword with a wave of her hand. "No 'thank you', Master Fabre?"

"Y-you slaughtered it…"

"And?"

"Th-that was disgusting… so brutal… why did you have to-"

"That monster would've done the same to you."

"S-so you're acting like a monster?!" Luke screamed. He stood. He glared hard into the very core of the ex-soldier's being. Lyra did not take well to this, pushing herself closer to him until they were mere inches apart.

"You ungrateful little bastard! Would you rather it lay there in a bloodied heap, or yourself? How would you like it if your entrails were split from your very being, your organs wrenched inside out, your blood curdling in the hot sun, and-"

"Lyra!" Jade's non-existent temper flared, earning the blonde's silence. Luke looked as though he might be sick.

Scratch that… Luke was sick. He turned, vomiting into the nearest brush, gripping another rock in light of the fact that his strength had been completely drained from him. Predictably, there was a sudden flash of green and red fonons, and Jade was dragging Lyra away from the teen at an astounding pace. They vanished from the scene, disappearing into a crevice between two large, jagged rocks.

"Where do you think he's taking her?" Natalia asked, having been standing frozen in the same place since her return with Guy.

"I've no idea… but I'll be surprised if he returns her in the same state she's in now," Tear mused.

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**I'm going to have a fun time writing the next chapter... predictions, anyone? There will be some interesting plot points revealed very shortly, let me say that much. The only trick will be keeping Jade in character, as always. **


	11. Yesterdays

**Author's Note: Welcome to the chapter of way, way too much character development. Here, the foundation for Jade and Lyra's relation to one another is finally revealed. I hope you enjoy. Next update due Tuesday, 12/4. **

* * *

"You should be ashamed."

Jade's voice was cold, devoid of all feeling – as it usually was whenever he discussed a serious topic with the other members of the party. Here, though, he stood alone with Lyra, whose back was turned toward him, eyes closed and lips sealed. He kept his distance, knowing all too well that after the display he just witnessed, she'd be looking for a fight, even if it was one with him – one she could not hope to win. It was evident that the blonde was tense, fingers curling into fists at her sides, tremors coursing through her shoulders. Jade noted that his arm suddenly felt particularly warm, and upon a brief examination, further noted the appearance of a fonic mark burned into the fabric of his glove. He would've shaken his head, but he decided against it; he remained perfectly still.

"…I should be ashamed?"

"Yes, you should."

Lyra turned back to him suddenly, slamming a closed fist into the wall nearest her of the narrow, rocky ravine. Her eyes were embers, dull yellow now gleaming like candles in the looming blackness. Indeed, the sun was beginning to descend over the mountainside, leaving her and the colonel within the darkest shadows of the entire range.

"You're blaming… me? Who're you to be judgmental? Why should I be ashamed, and not you? " She took a step back, eyeing the man before her with great caution. He sighed, though did not move from his position.

"Why should I be ashamed for what you've let yourself become?" The familiar look of amusement returned, and for once, Lyra proved herself to truly be an _ex_-solider, because her temper simply could not be restrained any longer.

"What the _hell _are you talking about, colonel?! Who taught me how to fight?! Who instilled in me the 'values of pain and punishment'?!" Jade raised a brow, allowing his grin to grow just a tad more. "Y-you're the monster here, not me!" Lyra summoned her blade, and though appearing as if she were going to slice Jade's arm clean from his body, tossed the weapon to the ground in anguish. She sank back against the wall of the ravine, a deep sob wrenched forth from her lungs – no tears though; there were never any tears.

"Are you done?" Jade asked, apparent boredom the only expression she could read upon his maw.

"You're a bastard, colonel. The same cold, unfeeling bastard you've always been."

"How charming." Jade took a step toward her, reaching down to recover her fallen blade. He twined his fingers about the hilt, examining its faded glory. The metal was cool to the touch, though he knew the extreme heat the sword was christened with – the reason it glowed red was not simply due to the enchantment of the object, but because it drew out all of the fifth fonons its user had to offer, charging the edge of the blade. He could feel his own power surging into the weapon as he moved to hand it back to Lyra.

"Thanks," she managed, sounding bitter, yet somehow apologetic at the same time. She took the blade by the hilt, but she was sure that her hand did not touch the colonel's, not even the slightest bit. The blonde tested the weight of the weapon upon outstretched fingers, admiring its perfect balance with a sad smile. "I remember other times like this, colonel," she murmured, carefully running a hand above the heat wave the sword emitted.

"Oh?" Jade asked, a falsely perplexed tone mixing well with his amusement.

"Of course." The smile grew, the corners of her mouth stretching a bit wider. "You were harsher back then. Maybe you've lost your touch." A glint of playfulness in her eye, Lyra raised her head to look straight into two pools of crimson light, hidden behind two reflective lenses.

"Perhaps you're right. I am getting old, after all." The brown-haired man sighed, resting himself against the wall opposite his blonde ally. Lyra looked back at the ground, the sad expression returning, and her lips curving ever-so-slightly downward.

"Old, huh?" She rested a hand upon her own face, the long, slender fingers running over the defined bones of her cheek. A silence hung between them then, for a short moment, before Jade cleared his throat and rested a hand upon his forehead.

"You're still young, Lyra," he assured.

"Younger than you, but that's all I can boast."

"You're seven years my younger. I wouldn't be too concerned with age."

"…what're we even discussing, colonel?" Lyra shook her head, allowing the sword to come to rest between her palms, fingers still outstretched. Her eyes were tired, drained once more. She _was_ unhealthy, and compared to her prior form, weak and out of practice – Jade was finding these conditions extremely difficult to accept.

"I wanted to talk to you. I wanted reason," he responded, amusement giving way to the grimmer mask of Jade the Necromancer. Perhaps if only to mirror his ally's actions, the red-eyed man produced his own weapon, leaning it against the wall of the ravine. He kept one hand firmly wound about the spear's shaft, closing his eyes with a quiet breath. "Why are you here? Why should I continue allowing you to traumatize my companions?"

"Colonel, you know I can't tell you that."

"For what reason?"

"I've sworn to not tell of the sin I've committed. I would be endangering… a friend's life."

"Telling of the action which caused your debt to _me_ would endanger _someone else's_ life?"

"Yes," she answered, voice softer than intended as a heavy wind broke the peace between them. She waited for the gusts to die down before she opened her mouth again, pushing stray strands of gold behind her ears as she did so. "I know this aggravates you, colonel… but there's nothing I can do. It's been hard enough forcing myself to find you."

"Seen enough of my beautiful face for one lifetime?" Jade jested. And through his words, Lyra could see the tension, be it only through the involuntary tightening of his fingers about his spear.

"Frankly, colonel, I wish I'd never met you."

"Oh, Lyra, I'm so hurt."

"Perhaps if it had been under different conditions, then… but the situation was…I… I don't regret my actions. But I should've…" The blonde stopped, obviously struggling to find the right words. A hand went to her head, twining itself hopelessly amongst the frayed, shorter strands of hair.

"I know. You needn't inform me."

"I never intended to return to you and play servant once more."

"You were never my-"

"Don't kid with me, colonel." Her weakened smile faded completely, rage returning to blazing yellow orbs. She advanced upon him, but dismissed her weapon simultaneously; Lyra placed herself but inches in front of him, until the colonel could feel her breath upon the barely-exposed flesh of his neck. His spear found itself at her back, thicker part of the blade pushing into her right shoulder-blade. "I _was_ you servant," she spat, Jade cringing as the warm flecks of saliva came into contact with his uniform.

"Now look what you've done: ruined yet another of these jackets. His Majesty will certainly not be pleased with my needing a new one." Lyra ignored this statement, pushing herself up upon her toes, looking straight into the bright, amused red eyes of the Malkuthian solider before her.

"That's all I ever was to you. And certainly all I ever was to 'His Majesty', as you say." Jade sighed, but allowed the amusement to give way again. The spear was withdrawn, and he turned himself away from the demonic-looking woman before him, his shoulder now facing her front. There was an exhausted sigh, but the colonel did eventually look back to her, indifference colder than the amusement from just a moment before.

"You weren't my servant," he remarked quickly, not allowing her time to interrupt. "You _were_ a valuable asset. You _were_ the only person to ever serve beneath me whom I understood. Who, I thought, at rare times, understood me." His speech caused Lyra to back away, looking for all the world accosted. "You _are_, however, someone whom I cannot trust, nor rely on, ever again. You were never who I thought you were."

"C-Colonel Curtiss…"

"It's Jade, Lyra. Jade."

He turned his back to her, and, shoulders moving with an even heavier breath than before, began to walk away. There was something lost between them, now, somehow regained; Lyra thought so, though she didn't understand what. She didn't understand why. She didn't understand _him_. And to her, that was absolutely maddening. The blonde swallowed hard, shaking where she stood before facing away from the retreating solider. Her eyes were closed, hair hanging down in front of her face, which bore a tired expression. For a brief moment, the ex-solider considered crying – she was no longer in the service of anyone, after all, and she had therefore attained that right: the right to cry. The right to openly express her feelings: those of hopelessness, confusion, exasperation…

"Damn you, colonel." She slunk down against the wall Jade had been standing against, shallow pants accompanying her trembling form. Rather uncoordinated hands found their way to her neck, where Lyra undid the brass snaps which held the crimson shirt about her neck – she felt as though each breath might kill her at this rate, embers filling her lungs each time she attempted to drink in the air around her. There was a faint clicking sound, and she knew that the colonel had released her from the fonic chain – she was free.

Lyra spent a great many hours like that, until the last traces of sunlight had long-since descended over the mountaintops. Her hands were bloodied, having gripped the stones at her feet all too hard. Her clothing was soiled, damp, clumps of dirt sticking to her leggings as she pulled herself up out of the uncomfortable position. Lyra felt as though her return to Jade had been a mistake, but… _why can't I just go? This repenting was never a good idea..._

Head hung low, the ex-solider took a stabilizing breath, and then began the long walk back toward camp: the group's current place of residence. _Jade's_ current place of residence.

~…~

Jade, most regrettably, found himself embracing sleep that evening. His dealings with Lyra had exhausted him far more than he'd like to admit, and far much more than he ever would. His eyes closed, the colonel had managed to slip into the quiet respite of rest, the one he'd hoped for. The only trouble seemed to be the restlessness of his own mind – for of course, there the blonde was, haunting him even in the realm of dreams. And there, in the memory-like dreamscape he'd fallen into, Jade was able to recount his first meeting with the soldier who'd proven to be the bane of his service to the military.

~…~

"…_and there are various others, of course, but you know I've done what's best for you. Right, Jade? Jade? Hey, are you even listening?" _

"_Hmm? I'm sorry, Your Majesty, what was that?"_

"_Ugh, Jade, stop fawning over your research. You'll have plenty of time for that later. Here I am trying to assign you a new chief-in-command, because you so blatantly rejected the last of Nordheim's recommendations, and here you are not even paying attention."_

"_Your Majesty, I have no time to train a new chief-in-command. Frankly, I'm in not need of one. They're only good for running the errands of those colonels too lazy to complete those tasks themselves." _

"_Jade, it's basic military protocol. Besides, it's never a bad idea to have someone to watch your back."_

"_As true as that may be, Your Majesty, I-"_

"_Peony. None of this 'Your Majesty' stuff. It's not necessary when we're alone."_

"_Peony, then. A chief serving beneath me will only prevent me from reaching my highest potential." _

"_But Jade!" _

_And then Peony made that face at him: the one which rendered Jade incapable of winning an argument. The newly-appointed colonel unveiled a deep sigh, turning in his chair to face the emperor who most adamantly stood firm with resolve. There was his smile, bright-white teeth showing, bright blue eyes wide as tiny moons embedded into his skull. Colonel Curtiss leaned onto his desk, fonically-enhanced eyes drifting off toward the paperwork scattered about – anywhere but Peony's face. The royal cleared his throat, reaching down to smooth out the wrinkled front of Jade's jacket. He was met with a disapproving shudder at the physical contact._

"…_I'll send him in, then?"_

"_Fine, Peony. Send him in."_

_And the golden-haired emperor practically skipped toward the door, pausing briefly only to turn his head over his shoulder and utter a few final words to the colonel. "Jade, this is what's best for you. He's a really young guy, full of potential. He's just what you need. You're twenty-five, and still obsessing about that past. He'll help get your mind off of things. I need someone to watch you when you're out in the field, because Lorelei knows you won't take care of yourself otherwise." The door closed behind the royal, and Jade shook his head._

"_If you say so, Peony," he murmured, turning his attention back to his work. A mere thirty seconds or so passed before there was a quiet knock on the door, Jade cursing Peony's punctuality in fulfilling this trivial act, but ignoring most of his emperor-associated duties. "Come in." The solider pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, eyes momentarily scanning his doorway before the wood slowly creaked open, revealing… well…_

"_Good afternoon, Colonel Curtiss."_

"_Well, at least you've manners. Perhaps you'll last a few minutes longer than the last, eh?" Jade stood, offering his hand for the shorter man to shake. He took it most easily; the handshake was a firm as Jade would've hoped._

"_I certainly hope so, sir. It is an honor to have the chance to serve under you."_

'_He's too perfect', Jade thought. The younger stood there, scarcely eighteen in age – the minimum for military service in Malkuth – with a simple smile, portraying perfect innocence. His eyes were a light hazel, reflecting tones of yellow, bronze, green… and his hair was a perfect gold, deeper in color than His Majesty's, with a light curl at the shoulders. His uniform, similar in nature to the colonel's, was in pristine condition; his boots had been polished that morning, and were folded in perfect symmetry on either side of his legs. There was something off about the boy, and it laid in his image of perfection. 'A chief, and only eighteen? He must've been the top-ranking soldier in his division within days…'_

"_And what is your name, young man?" the colonel asked, lips curving ever-so-slightly upward._

"_Leon. Leon Reyson, sir." _

"_Chief Reyson, then. As you know, I am Jade Curtiss."_

"_Of course, colonel. I've heard much about you from His Majesty." _

"_Mmm, how wonderful."_

"_Is there a problem, sir?"_

"_No, none at all. Now, I've your first assignment." _

"_Yes, colonel?"_

"_Go and fetch His Majesty, if you would. I need to… discuss something with him."_

~…~

Jade awoke with his heart thundering, eyes stirring to action most rapidly as they took in the sight of a crescent-moon hanging just over him. It took him only a few seconds to calm himself; the colonel sat up, leaning against the rock he'd found refuge near earlier. A still-gloved hand straightened his hair, then his uniform before he stood. Not surprisingly, when he did so, he glimpsed a familiar figure, sitting much too close to where he'd been asleep.

"Leon?" he asked, cursing himself for allowing the dream to carry into reality.

Lyra offered no reply, but, after a moment-

"Yes, colonel?"

Jade stood still, uncertain of what to say. Certainly, his mind produced no less than a dozen bitterly sarcastic remarks, but, for some strange reason, he found himself incapable of uttering a single one. Eventually, he took a tentative step toward the blonde, burying hands in his pockets.

"Come to Grand Chokmah with me."

"I already said that I'll go."

"Not for the purpose of locking you away in prison."

"…what exactly do you mean then, colonel?"

He took a careful breath, another step, and then, offered his suggestion to the woman before him.

"To seek an audience with His Majesty. I believe you left the city without attending your trial."

"…colonel, he _would_ kill me."

"Well, we'll just have to see about that, now won't we, _Reyson_?"

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**Interesting information you've attained, now isn't it? Thoughts? As always, reviews are appreciated; I'd love to know what you all are thinking. ^.^**


	12. Concern

**Author's Note: This chapter not only serves for conflict, but also for understanding... erm, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean once you've read it. The next one will be the one you've all been awaiting, I'm sure. Well, not really. Something like that. **

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Dawn was quickly approaching those who lay asleep in the Chesedonian Mountain Range: the first droplets of sunlight beginning to flow down the snow-tipped peaks, reflecting into the ravines of the path which Luke fon Fabre's peace brigade had occupied. The redheaded ambassador lie upon a blanket, covered by an extra coat he'd brought along from Baticul; he used his backpack for a pillow, and Mieu as something vaguely resembling a stuffed bear. The tiny creature, despite his earlier protests about being strangled, was now quite comfortably snoozing within the boy's arms. If Tear had seen, she would've certainly been amused. But the female mage was not yet awake; for that matter, neither was the vast majority of the party.

A rather unfortunately well-placed beam of light caused Luke to stir, shaking the blue ball of fur free from his arms, and rolling onto his side. He sighed deeply, wishing more than ever to be asleep, but deciding that there was no hope of returning to his pleasant dreams of home, sat up and threw the coat free from his person. He stretched, yawned, did those typical morning-actions, and then pressed firmly against the bark of a nearby tree to stand. Green eyes quickly scanned his surroundings, and, for once, the youth was shocked to find himself the only one awake. Usually, he was the last to climb out of bed, and more often than not, Guy had to drag him out.

"Humph, stupid sun," he muttered, rolling up the blanket at his feet, and slowly sliding it back into the pack which Mieu was now using as a bed. He tended to the coat next, replacing that as well. And then, well, Luke thought that anyone who got up at this hour on purpose must've been insane, because there was absolutely nothing to do. He breathed a deep sigh, and then walked over to where the others had fallen asleep, in a circle around Ion. The redhead raised a brow when he noticed someone out of place. "Wait… where's-"

"Morning, Master Fabre." He stifled his shout of surprise, much to Lyra's dismay, as he was now staring at the woman quite literally hanging down in front of his face. How she'd managed to climb so high up into a tree at this hour in the morning, he'd never guess.

"What're you doing up there?" Luke growled, taking a few steps back. He was met with a chuckle, and soon, the blonde had swung down from the branches and landed but only a few feet in front of him. She was wearing an amused expression, one to match Jade's the vast majority of the time. Luke found the resemblance almost frightening, and shook his head as he turned away. "What're you even doing awake at this time of day?"

"I could ask the same of you, Master Fabre."

"Yeah, well, I asked you first," he huffed, glaring at her in annoyance. Lyra's smile widened, and she actually threw her head back in mocking laughter.

"I was gathering some apples for breakfast," the blonde explained, motioning to the tiny satchel fastened about her waist, which was coincidently stuffed with the bright red fruit. Luke nodded, and then turned to the exhausted fire-pit from the evening before. There was something he could do, he supposed, and he knelt to rekindle the flames' existence.

"I didn't see you or Jade come back last night," he said, a pitiful attempt to strike up conversation. That was possibly the thing Lyra wished to walk about the least at the moment, and somehow, the ambassador had hit the nail on the head.

"When we returned to camp, everyone was already asleep." The ex-soldier walked over to the opposite side of the fire-pit, leaning over to retrieve some cooking pans tethered to Anise's backpack, which she'd abandoned in the general vicinity of Ion's feet. Lyra pulled one of the larger ones free first, and began depositing eggs she'd apparently collected as well. Luke watched as she stirred in some corn flour, and then some water, and…

"What're you making?" The redhead peered into the bowl, cocking his head to the side.

"Apple dumplings," she answered, not bothering to look up.

"Huh. That doesn't sound too bad."

"My, what a compliment, Master Fabre." She chuckled, allowing her sickly yellow eyes to shift up to meet his. Luke almost jumped back at the sight: it was strikingly eerie, after all.

"Y-you really don't need to call me that," he affirmed, shifting his weight onto his hip. He tucked one leg beneath him, crossing the other in front, and rested his head upon bent knee.

"Luke, then?"

"Yeah. Just Luke."

"Very well." And without another word between them, her attention was directed back toward the dish she was preparing, and Luke found himself somehow engrossed with the fire-making. Perhaps it was only so because neither wished to discuss anything any longer. _No,_ Luke reasoned, _that couldn't be it. She's still such a mystery. _

"Hey, uh, Lyra?" Her gaze shifted back to him, though she offered no verbal sign that she was paying attention. "When you killed that thing yesterday, I-"

"Don't worry about it, Luke. That was wrong on my part, and I apologize."

"-thought you were going to- wait, what?"

"I'm sorry," she stated calmly, shifting to sit cross-legged so she could cut the apples with greater ease. Her eyes flickered back to his, and Luke suddenly felt uneasy again.

"It's not that I'm scared of those things, it's just…"

"For you, taking life is much more difficult. I understand… and I respect that. I also know that my display yesterday was uncalled for, immoral, and unnecessary." _Colonel Curtiss pointed those things out for me, _she mentally noted.

"Thanks," he whispered, so quietly – as though if he murmured it too loud, Lorelei would strike him dead on the spot. He busied his hands quickly, not giving Lyra an excuse to lock eyes with him and demand explanation for this gratitude. He knew that if she really was anything like Jade, she would, and that was about the last thing he wanted. Strangely enough, reply never came, and when he eventually gave into the temptation to look up, he was met with only the sight of her further preparing their breakfast. Luke swallowed thickly, creeping away from the fire he'd managed to strike up. "Hey, uh…" He trailed off, cleared his throat, and tried again, looking for a new topic. "Can I ask you something, Lyra?"

"I reserve the right to not answer, but go ahead," she responded calmly, pouring a bit of the batter she'd mixed into the pan above the fire.

"How exactly do you know Jade?"

"Ah. Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to divulge such information."

"Oh. Okay… um… why're you travelling to Grand Chokmah?"

"My reasons for travelling there actually underwent a recent change, so I am no longer allowed to speak on the subject."

"Umm… do you have any identification besides the name 'Lyra'? A family? A title?"

"Nothing of the sort… well, nothing I'm allowed to tell you."

"Geez, is there anything you _can_ tell me?" Luke grumbled, leaning over the pan now emitting a sizzling sound. Lyra looked up at him from her addition of the apples, blinking once or twice.

"I'm Lyra. I'm acquainted with the colonel, and I must travel to Grand Chokmah with him." Luke sighed heartily, leaning back, as though expecting the air to support him.

"Right, I got those parts." He rolled his eyes, and looked to his side, pulling his sword free from the sheath at his back. This obviously caught the blonde's attention, because she stopped her movements mid-pour of batter. She opened her mouth, and then shut it hastily, as though preventing herself from saying something stupid. Luke noted this, but twirled the weapon between his fingers with a casual, cocky grin. "That's right. You use a sword too."

"Indeed," Lyra responded, still refusing to take her eyes off of the glint of silver.

"And you summon your sword just like Jade does his spear."

"I do."

"Did he teach you that trick?"

Lyra froze up, quickly forcing her attention away from the blade between his fingers, and back to the apples in her lap. She pretended as though he wasn't there, rapidly cutting and peeling fruit after fruit – anything to avoid this conversation. Obviously, the redhead picked up on this, and leaned a little closer to her. "Something you don't want to talk about?" he asked, and Lyra could've sworn she heard the grin in his voice.

"Well…"

"Luke! Lyra! G'morning!"

"Ugh, damn it Guy, not so loud!" Luke shouted back, turning his body to face the servant now happily trotting toward them. Lyra breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad that this 'Guy' fellow seemed to have excellent timing when it came to interrupting conversations. She managed a quick wave, before turning back to the breakfast at hand.

"Oh, sorry," he murmured, rubbing the back of his in embarrassment. "How're you this morning?"

"I was _fine_ before you went and starting yelling." Luke turned away from them both now, an obvious pout upon his maw. Guy had to restrain a chuckle, and Lyra had to restrain an insult. The blonde yawned instead, and looked up at the Kimlascan with a faint smile.

"Excellent, Guy, thank you for asking."

"What're you making?" he inquired, taking a seat not too far from Luke.

"Apples dumplings."

"Sounds tasty~!" The sudden proclamation by Anise was certainly too close to Guy's ear to render him immobile any longer, and he leapt over Luke to move further away from the tiny brown-eyed girl. He was met with a frown by the Fon Master Guardian, who shook her head and muttered to herself briefly. "The others are awake now, so we'll have to have a quick breakfast, and then start moving," she explained.

"Good," Luke said, turning to face the others. "The sooner we start moving, the soon we can-"

"Yeah, yeah, meet up with Van, we know," Anise snapped, looking thoroughly displeased.

Their meal, for the most part, was eaten in silence, and without the presence of a certain fonist.

~…~

After a full day of travel, that which surely involved countless arguments and tedious battles with the local fauna, Luke's party found themselves at the end of the rugged mountain path. There hadn't been much conversation, and the only real interaction was the occasional awkward glance between random pairs of people. As always, the redhead was pushing the group, and yet still proving to be a burden when it came to fighting. Because of this, the vast majority of his companions considered their ambassador to be quite the hypocrite, though, for the most part, this opinion went unvoiced.

The massive walls of dirt which ran alongside either side of the road to Akzeriuth eventually turned to stone, and a bit later, mineral deposits and gemstones could be glanced within them. Of course, it was no surprise that the resources here had remained generally untapped – there were far too many monsters for the average civilians to deal with. Tear made easy work of a rather nasty group of bird-like creatures, fonic hymns proving to be the force which cleared their path. Of course, Guy and Anise's likeness for front-line combat was also revealed, the two charging forward most eagerly whenever a large, wolf-like being would decide to have a go at Ion.

"Are these monsters really that stupid? Why do they just keep attacking?" Luke asked, a sour note in his voice as he cast a sidelong glance at Tear. The brunette sighed, sweeping long hair over her shoulders before bothering with an answer.

"We're invading their habitat. They feel threatened, so they attack."

"Poor things," Natalia whispered, looking rather sad as she gazed upon a monster Anise had recently killed. The Fon Master Guardian simply rolled her eyes, skipping eagerly along the path with Mieu in tow. The two seemed to be off in their own world. Anise turned rather suddenly, hands on her hips as she spoke.

"When we get to Akzeriuth, we-"

_Bang!_

"W-Whoa! What on earth?!"

_Bang!_

"Wh-what?!" Natalia's eyes widened, taking a step back from where a bullet had caused a rock to go flying off of the ground directly in front of her. There were two more shots, a shout from Tear which the blonde couldn't comprehend, and then the female mage had tackled her to the ground, saving her life as another bullet whirred through the air in the place she formally occupied. Natalia gasped, turning herself upon her back to gaze up at the rocky ledges. Sure enough, there stood their oppressor, dressed in a peculiar combination of black, white, and greys, long red scarf draped about thin shoulders. Pale blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, dark eyes fixed intently upon the brunette who'd just taken a dive to protect the Kimlascan princess.

"Tear Grants!" she shouted, directing one of two identical pistols at the melodist. The younger was upon her feet faster than even she knew she could've been.

"Major Legretta?!"

Heads turned toward the God-General perched upon the rocky cliff above them, who suddenly dropped onto her knees and began a graceful slide down onto the ground level with the group. Luke took a few steps back, drawing out his sword; Guy mimicked this action, and stepped in front of Natalia protectively. The fierce woman's eyes narrowed, brows furrowing in frustration as she carefully stalked around the party. "Tear," she began, "why are you travelling with these incompetent people? What've you to gain by allying yourself with them?"

"Major Legretta, I am only trying to help Akzeriuth. And… though I know not the extent of my brother's actions, I do not trust him." Tear drew up here own weapon, fonons concentrating at the tip of the staff as she took a more aggressive stance against her former instructor.

"Tear… please, return to me. Return to Van. Your brother desires only what is best for this world."

"And what exactly is best for this world?" Jade inquired, summoning his spear with a casual flick of the wrist. Legretta turned toward the colonel, a frown upon her face.

"Oh, so it's you… Necromancer. You know, I must thank you, really." The blonde woman grinned, pointing one of the two revolvers at the military-man's chest. Her motions were frighteningly fluid, the other gun finding its direction toward Luke. "The _replica_… your whole process of fomicry… we couldn't have accomplished this without your he-."

"You didn't!" Jade's sudden shout willed from the group a look of surprise; this was _Jade Curtiss. _And the colonel was certainly never angry – he possessed no emotions apart from amusement and emptiness, right? Only Lyra seemed unconcerned with his sudden shouts. There was a sudden rush of light, Jade's spear locking with the blades which extended out from the revolver's handle. Legretta stumbled back, swinging once at the man, but eventually backed down once a successful hit from Jade sent her falling backwards. There, she shifted, and was gone, having retreated to the top of the rocky cliff again.

"The use of fomicry on living beings is forbidden!" Jade screamed, charging forward to the base of the rocky wall. Legretta only turned away, lips pressed tightly together. When she spoke, it was quiet, calm, as though simply to aggravate the fonist more than she already had.

"What a hypocrite… Tear, my offer still stands… return to us."

And then she was gone, a flash of the red scarf over the rocks.

"Colonel… you're actually really angry," Anise said, walking up to his side. Immediately that emotion, that rage, vanished, and Jade had seemingly returned to his normal self.

"No, I'm not," he countered, allowing a pleasant smile to sink in upon his lips. Anise shook her head, but walked away nonetheless, refusing to acknowledge the presence of something that the colonel did not. The others followed suit, allowing the issue of his outburst to be dismissed within seconds. Only Lyra remained unconvinced, approaching Jade once he'd fallen to the tail-end of the group once more.

"You know, you really shouldn't-"

"I don't need to hear it from _you_."

If looks could kill, Lyra would've sworn to be dead a thousand times over.

* * *

**Well, that was fun, now wasn't it? Jade _never_ gets emotional. So that was fun to write... anyhow... my next update should be done and over with by Friday or Saturday. Toodles 'til then!**


	13. Shatter

**Author's Note: This chapter turned out to be a little longer than I intended, but I think that's okay... I hope... anyhow, the next chapter will undoubtedly contain one of the biggest spoilers of the game. Actually, two of the biggest spoilers. So, if you haven't finished the game or anime yet, it's not for your eyes. Pretty soon, this fic will divulge from the actual plot... you'll see what I mean. **

* * *

The state of Akzeriuth was far poorer than any of them could've imagined.

The miasma had managed to seep through the cracks in the earth beneath the town, filling the atmosphere with hazy purple. Countless people had grown ill because of the substance's presence, and were now either dead or struggling to stay alive. Those who were healthy were busy nursing the sickly, though amongst even these people, the hardened truth of death laid in their future. Evacuation was the proposed plan by both Duke Fabre and King Ingobert, but once the group had taken in the condition of the people of the tiny mining town, they were beginning to reconsider. It would be impossible to save everyone at this rate, with the suffering masses so greatly outweighing those able to assist in a relief effort. Akzeriuth truly was a sad sight: the picture of misery and lost hope.

Luke's party made their way down the steep, stair-like terraces carved into the rock walls of the town. The ground shifted beneath their feet, aftershocks from the most recent earthquake still causing frequent tremors – the red-headed ambassador almost fell twice on the descent downward. Still, it did not take them too long to reach the mine's center; here, there laid only a few buildings, most of them having been recently converted into makeshift medicine-houses. Those who were not assisting in the recovery process seemed to be talking in a small circle near one of the elevator shafts which led further down into the mines.

"This is simply awful… I never expected it to be this bad," Natalia whimpered, head turning from one depressing scene to the next. "And this purple gas… it _this_ the miasma?"

"Yes," Tear answered, a sullen look accompanying the single word. "The miasma is deadly poison gas, produced by the planet's core."

"W-wait, poison gas?" Anise stuttered, glancing at the female mage beside her. "Does that mean we'll get sick too?" She looked down at her hands, knotting them together in sudden worry. Tear attempted to smile back at her, a failed attempt, but a reassuring gesture all the same.

"As long as we don't inhale a large amount over a long period of time, we'll be fine." Anise seemed a bit more confident after Tear's answer, and moved up alongside Guy to examine the buildings.

"We should talk to whoever's in charge," Natalia suggested. "If we get everyone on board with our plan, we should be able to evacuate the majority of citizens successfully."

"That's true, but what about those who no longer have the ability to walk?" Tear exchanged a nervous glance with the Kimlascan; she simply bit her lip and shook her head, refusing to allow such grim thoughts to cross her mind.

"We'll have to take extreme care with them, and have others who are able move them from the mines." The princess straightened, nodding once in affirmation of her own proposal, and then began to walk in the direction of the cluster of miners. One of them looked up, waving at the others as he left the group.

"You guys go on ahead; I'll catch up with you later. It looks like we've got some newcomers." The man was taller than Natalia, with a thick mustache and an even thicker accent. He was muscular, though it seemed as though the recent situation had drained much of his strength. And that wasn't too surprising, really. He carried with him a dull smile, tired eyes refusing to open more than half-way, despite the way he eagerly sauntered toward the group.

"Are you the one who's in charge?" she asked, pushing the quiver upon her back more firmly onto her shoulder.

"Yes, I am. My name's Daniel." The man smiled a bit wider, an attempt at a friendly greeting respite the crumbling world around him.

"Good to meet you, Daniel. I am Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, princess of Kimlasca. I am here on a mission to offer aid on behalf of my kingdom." Daniel's eyes widened slightly, and he suddenly looked quite uncomfortable. "And this," she continued, gesturing to Luke, "is Luke fon Fabre, heir to the throne of Baticul. He is our goodwill ambassador."

"I don't think she knows the meaning of the word 'discreet'," Anise whispered to Guy. The blonde sighed, but nodded, watching the scene play out before him.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Luke," the redhead confirmed. "And you don't need to speak for me, Natalia. I can manage on my own just fine." He crossed his arms, turning his chin up as he came to stand beside her, facing Daniel. The man was, by now, shaking where he stood. The colonel at the rear of the group frowned, stepping forward to offer the man a more suitable option than pointless trembling.

"If I may interrupt this remarkable display of communication?" Jade stepped casually between the two Kimlascans and the head miner, earning a death glare from one of them. "My name is Jade Curtiss, I'm from Malkuth." He offered a hand, almost forcing the shorter man to accept the shake. "We are here to offer aid. Might I ask where we may begin?"

"Well," the man began, calming himself ever so slightly, "you all should probably check into the old inn. There you'll find some bunks where you can rest. Afterwards, head down toward mine shaft fourteen. That's where the recent explosion occurred, and there are still men trapped down there." He paused in thoughts, glancing at Natalia and Luke. "Then again… it's pretty dangerous down there. Maybe, instead, you could-"

"Nothing of the sort. We'll rest briefly and then proceed into the mine. Thank you."

With that, the colonel released his grip on the miner's hand, and began to pace off steadily toward the inn. Lyra followed, suddenly appearing at the head of the group with the red-eyed man. Jade took note of her presence, but did not speak to her, and instead continued moving. The blonde looked tense, wanting to speak, but not doing so. They reached the door of the inn together, and, perhaps out of habit, Lyra reached forward to open it for the colonel. He chuckled, and she was uncertain about how to react, but ended up holding the door for everyone else as well. Lyra entered last, shaking her head as she did so.

It didn't take long for Natalia to let her opinion on the issue of Akzeriuth known. As soon as the door to the inn's sole room had been closed, she spoke. "So now that we've arrived, we have to formulate a plan for our rescue mission into the mines."

"Look, we're not even supposed to be here," Anise complained, glancing sidelong at Ion. "And though I still disagree with the Fon Master's decision to stop in and witness the state of Akzeriuth and all, now that we're here… I do feel like we should help. But I don't think that 'formulating a plan' will get us very far. I mean, we don't even know what condition the mines are in, or what's down there!"

"What Anise says is true," Jade agreed. "In this case, Natalia, it may be best to simply traverse through the mines and help all who we are able to."

"How exactly can we help people?" Luke asked. The others, including Mieu, all glanced at him with mild shock. Well, apart from Jade, that was.

Tear made her presence known, speaking up from where she sat upon one of the lower bunk beds. "We heal everyone we can. Those who aren't able to be healed by a mere use of the seventh fonon will have to be escorted out of the town, before we assist those we can heal, or those who can exit the city of their own volition."

One of the two attendants of the inn walked over to the brunette, offering their party a wide variety of supplies for their task of descending into the mines. Tear took her time deciding which items they'd really need, and which were better off remaining at the tiny inn, now being used as a resting facility for the sick. The woman left them with a smile, returning to her patients.

"Ugh, that is such a pain," Luke whined, folding arms across his chest. "Isn't Master Van supposed to be here? If we find him, then I can… I…"

"What is it, Luke?" Guy asked, cleaning the blade of his sword.

"Nothing, never mind." The redhead cleared his throat, gazing out the building's sole window.

"Still, it is unusual that we haven't seen Van. I doubt he'd of gone into the mines without us," Jade reasoned, shrugging as Luke glared at him.

"Master Van can do whatever he wants. He knows what he's doing." With that, Luke turned away, refusing to speak to the colonel or any other member of his rescue party.

"We should all get some rest," Ion piped, trying to diffuse the tension. "Once we've all had a few hours of sleep, we need to go to mine shaft fourteen and help those people who were caught in the explosion."

"He's right! C'mon everybody, let's-" Mieu was cut short by Luke promptly punting him across the room. Thankfully, he landed in Tear's lap, be it quivering in shock from the sudden blow.

"Luke!" she shouted.

"Tch. Just shut up already."

~…~

Whereas Lyra had once been at the rear of the group, she'd now taken the lead, along with Jade. They stepped briskly along the path, taking note of cracked walls and shattered stone, both knowing all too well the dangers of being caught in a cave-in. Natalia and Mieu glanced around curiously, having never been a in mine before; Luke, on the other hand, was staring miserably at the ground, hoping desperately for them to run into Van. Tear and Guy flanked the group, weapons drawn, as they'd already encountered a few nasty monsters that wanted them gone. Anise remained in the back with Ion, helping the young Fon Master through particularly rocky areas with a lending hand.

It had not been long since their entrance to the mine shaft when the group found themselves interrupted by a man in silver armor. He trotted toward them from the way they'd previously come, bearing a spear in one hand and a scroll in the other. The clanking of the chainmail drew everyone's attention, though did not warrant the ambassador's interest; Luke continued along the path once everyone else had stopped.

"Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants!" The man raised his arm in a salute, spear hitting the ground with a defined _thump_ as he did so. Tear stepped forward, quirking a brow as she drew closer.

"Yes, that would be me. What is it that you want?"

"A message from Grand Maestro Mohs, regarding your current assignment." He thrust the paper into her hands, which the brunette accepted, eyes glazing over hastily scrawled words quite rapidly.

"I see. Is there no time, then?" Tear crossed her arms, suddenly giving the group a short, pitying glance.

"The Grant Maestro requests your presence at the site immediately." Another salute drew a sigh from the Locrian Sergeant.

"Alright." When the brunette turned back toward her companions, it was with a frown, her appearance being enough to draw Luke to a halt. He blinked at her, gesturing for her to explain. "I must leave you. I've received a message on urgent business from the Grand Maestro. I'll try to return as soon as I'm able."

"Understood," Ion responded, nodding once. "May Yulia protect you."

"Thank you, Fon Master." With those final words, Tear was sprinting back toward the entrance, the knight who'd contacted her at her heels.

"…who was that guy?" Luke inquired, an obviously delayed question.

"An oracle knight – one of the defenders of the Order of Lorelei," Anise answered, walking toward Luke with a largely confused expression. She buried tiny hands in the pockets of her tunic, frowning as she did so. "I don't understand what the Order would want with her at a time like this, though. Usually they'd be attacking us, so… what gives?"

"There is clearly a division in the Order of Lorelei, one that perhaps none of us understand just yet." Jade straightened his glasses, looking pensive as he led the group onward. Luke, perhaps the most confused of all of them, grumbled in complaint as their descent continued.

They passed countless examples of human suffering, people who'd paused for rest in their own journey toward the inner mines. These people were clearly in pain, clearly ill, and yet, they'd gone out of their way in an attempt to help those who were worse off than they. It was an admirable act, to say the least. Thankfully for Luke's party, no one in the group was too seriously affected by the miasma for the time being, so the journey to downward was a short one.

The sight at the bottom of mine shaft fourteen was far worse than anything they'd witnessed beforehand. There were at least forty people here, each of them lying down, or kneeling, or struggling to stand against the rocky walls. There was much coughing, much choking, and many ghastly displays of the miasma's fullest potential: people spitting blood, people bleeding from strange, burgundy blisters. Natalia seemed to go into rescue-mode instantly, quick to rush to the nearest individual and kneel beside them. Guy and Anise took Mieu and also departed to help those amongst the fallen; Luke, Jade, and Lyra stood at the entrance to the chamber, glancing from one person to the next in despair.

"What can I do here? H-how… how do I help?"

Luke's sudden question begged a strange look from both Lyra and the colonel, though he was uncertain of what he'd done to deserve it. Jade adjusted his glasses, pacing forward with Lyra just behind him. He turned to answer the redhead over his shoulder, looking more-or-less, quite solemn.

"You do whatever you can. You've healing supplies with you, yes? Use them."

And Luke simply stared down into his empty hands, as though trying to comprehend the military man's words. As red eyes disappeared from the teen's vision, he sank down against one of the chamber's rocky walls, until his gaze landed upon another passageway nestled between two strange looking machines. Quietly, as to avoid attracting attention from the two elders, Luke crouched, and began his investigation of the new pathway.

Jade, on the other hand, had by now found his way to one of the ill persons scattered about the room. He was a young man, with thin, black hair, and dull green eyes. The colonel laid a hand over his chest, feeling for the rate of breath, eyes scanning for abnormalities besides the lackluster features. What disturbed the man the most, however, were the strange blisters along the sick one's neck. They were a deep, reddish-purple, and seemed apt to begin oozing at any moment. He ran a gloved finger over one, and briefly, ever-so-briefly, allowed his scientist's persona a brief respite from its leash – let his mind wander…

_I wonder what these blisters contain… perhaps the liquid form of the miasma, mixed with blood or pus? More likely blood, given their color. Still, the size of them concerns me… nearly as wide as my finger. If that much of the miasma has gathered inside of this individual, then his fate has been determined… therefore, there should be no harm in extracting just a bit of the liquid for research purposes, and-_

"Colonel, what are you doing?"

…_Lyra…_

Jade glanced up only to lose himself in the judgmental stare of his companion. For the single moment red locked with yellow, the colonel could feel a supreme lack of control, his mind suddenly reeling, remembering, gazing back upon a memory he'd hoped never to resurface…

~…~

"_Colonel, what are you doing?"_

"_Hmm? Oh, it's you."_

_Jade stared blankly up at the teen, an off-color lack of amusement upon his face. Leon took a step back, awkwardly groping at the sheath of his sword; the colonel's smile flickered back into place, if only for a moment, as a due reaction. _

"_Yes, just me. You've spent a very long time out here, sir. It's about time to be heading back to camp, don't you think?"_

"_Oh, is it? I hadn't realized the time."_

_The Necromancer placed his tools back into his bag, stepping away from the body he'd been examining. It truly was a sad sight to watch all of the corpses go to waste, but Peony had been trying to wean him off of the experiments. Unfortunately, the emperor had found marginal success; Jade's urges had been under control for a while now, but…_

"_Colonel, is everything alright? You seem apprehensive." _

"_No, no. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Leon. We'll go back now."_

"_Sir… are you certain?"_

_The caring tone riddled within the other's voice was not something Jade was accustomed to. The blond's mouth hung open slightly, hazel eyes displaying obvious concern for his commander, but, why? 'Why?' thought Jade, 'when there are plenty of other, more important things to worry about? Why me?' _

"_Are you worried about me, Reyson?" Jade asked, not knowing what else to say. _

"_Well, of course, colonel. It's only natural for a chief to be concerned for his commander's well-being."_

'_Such honesty,' Jade thought, taking a step back. 'How can that be true? Is that really a custom?'_

"_Is that so?" Once more, Jade's voice carried with it the mild note of surprise. Never much, but there was some emotion imparted upon those words…_

"_Err… yes, sir." Leon smiled at him – a genuine smile – and this only further confused the colonel. Perhaps he could teach the man a few things… then again, perhaps there were a few things Jade could teach the chief as well. _

"_I've something to ask you," he began, taking a scalpel from the bag at his side. _

"_What is it, colonel?" the chief responded, nervously sidestepping upon finding the object in his commander's hand._

"_Have you ever heard of… fomicry?"_

"_No sir, I haven't."_

"_Well… pay attention, Reyson, and maybe you'll learn a thing or two."_

~…~

"Colonel?! Colonel, snap out of it!"

Lyra's more frantic voice was enough to rescue the man from his musings, her face suddenly much too close to his. Jade froze up, not knowing what to say or do, because there she was, with that same concern in her eyes, that same awe-stricken terror, and she was murmuring worriedly into his ear, trying to bring him back from his nightmarish thoughts, even though he was _Colonel Jade Curtiss _and _why on earth are there rocks falling around us?!_

Jade was momentarily thankful for the distraction of the rocks, though they soon became more bothersome than the female's hot breath at his ear. He pushed himself up, and Lyra backed away as to avoid touching him, which the colonel found odd considering the situation a mere moment ago, but still… there was no time to be concerned with such things now. There were flashes of light from the passageway just behind Lyra, and the colonel tensed upon feeling what could've been another earthquake starting beneath him.

"Colonel!"

Another female's voice: this time, Tear's.

"Colonel, it's the Vanguard! Van's here!"

"Van?" Jade asked, having only recently been recused from his thoughts. And then, not an instant later, there was the God-General, Asch. He drew out a thick steel blade, thrusting it through a monster which had gotten in his way, and then turned toward the colonel and his ex-chief.

"He's going to use that dreck to cause a hyperresonance! There's no time to explain; we have to get to the Sephiroth before he goes through with it!" And then Asch and Tear were sprinting away from him, leaving Jade with all too vivid an image of what was about to happen.

"Colonel…?" The blonde glanced from the passageway to him, and back again. "What's going on?"

"It doesn't matter, we need to stop Luke… come on!"

And then they began to run, together, toward the door leading into the Sephiroth. They passed the multi-colored remnants of Yulia's seal, and the colonel might've actually cursed, but that too would go unnoticed. And there, Jade noted, was where Ion had fallen – the others had probably started making their way down here as well. As their descent came to a sudden end, Jade felt his joints lock once more. For there, standing in the center of a glowing platform, was Luke, a ball of compressed fonons being shot from his hands and into the core of the planet storm…

"Colonel… what just happened?"

For some strange reason, Jade found himself unable to tell the ex-chief that they were both most likely going to die.

* * *

**Most of you probably know what's about to go down. Yeah... I'm sorry if this contains any terrible typos or whatnot... it's too late to do much of a thorough edit, but I promised a chapter today, so here it is... **


	14. Plummet

**Author's Note: Well hello there! This update seems a bit late, but it might just be my imagination. The chapters are getting harder to write now, let me assure you of that. Oh well, enjoy this fourteenth (whoa o.o) installment of "Within Icy Walls"! **

* * *

_Foolish replica Luke…_

"Wh-what's… happening…?"

_Unleash your power…_

"M-master Van… help me…"

_Do as I command!_

"M-master…"

Luke was rapidly losing sight of the world around him – he knew enough to observe, however, that everything was falling apart. Lines of purple and red streaked upward from the pool of energy beneath him, running the length of the cracks in the stone walls. Dirt and rocks were falling, the ground was shaking, and the very foundation of Akzeriuth was crumbling. Nothing seemed to make sense in that brief moment, where he teetered between blackness and consciousness, and the redhead was grateful for the strike of a blunt object against the back of his head, sending him into quiet respite.

The others were less grateful. For there stood Van, hovering with a scowl over Luke's unconscious body, sword in hand. He'd had enough sense to strike Luke down with the back-end of his blade, as to avoid killing the boy, but at this rate, that wouldn't make much of a difference. A horrid, piercing cry rang through the clouded atmosphere, and the current persons all glanced up to witness two bird-like monsters descending from far above. Van extended his arm, allowing one of the creatures to latch onto him and carry him into the air.

"Mystearica… I'd hoped for your safety." The man allowed his eyes to close, refusing to gaze upon those now slowly descending into the earth's core. Tear would've sworn to witness teardrops running the length of his face, but that moment was interrupted by another harsh cry. The other black bird had swooped down, capturing Asch within its talons. The God-General struggled against the beast, but to little avail, as he was now being lifted up beside Van.

"Van, stop this! Let me go!" Asch flailed widely in the monster's grasp, but the creature was unrelenting in its flight upward. Van shook his head, twisting his body around so that he could once more talk to those below him.

"I'd hoped to have saved Ion with that other monster, but Asch is of greater importance." A momentarily smile flickered over his lips, before he turned on them once more. A final yell echoed down the stone walls, meeting perhaps only Tear's ears: "You have the fonic hymns… use them!"

Tear stood stationary, mouth agape, eyes slowly opening and closing; she felt hurt, more hurt than any of her companions could've imagined, but willed herself desperately not to show it. The brunette shook her head, willing the return of clear vision – Luke was nearing the group now, being pulled in his unconscious state by a rather pained-looking Guy. Everything around them, the entirety of Akzeriuth, was falling apart. There must be her hymns, she had to sing, and though she knew it, Tear could not force the words from her mouth. Suddenly, Natalia was reaching forward, shaking her, attempting to bring her back.

"Tear, we have to get out!" The blonde's lips continued moving, but the young mage heard none of that, instead placing her trust in her older brother one last time. She clutched the staff she wielded close to her chest, drawing in a massive amount of fonons from the miasma-filled air.

"Everyone, get close to me!" she shouted. Natalia, though confused, remained where she was as the others neared them. Tear clutched onto the staff more firmly, closing her eyes in concentration. More and more power seeped into her tiny frame, the fonons growing in such a density that she believed she might just implode from the sheer pressure…

Anise was dragging Ion toward her, and Jade was there with Lyra and Guy and, and-

_Be as yourself invested in me, Yulia. Grant me the power to protect my friends, grant me the strength to endure the fall. Hail, Yulia, hail, Lorelei…please…_

"_Croa riou_ _ze tue riou rei neu riou ze~"_

A bright flash of light accompanied the ground suddenly giving way. Though the earth beneath the group was no longer intact, Tear could feel the energy from Yulia's hymn radiating about her, and, _yes_, about the others as well. The deep crimson glow, lavender etchings in the walls of the force field, protecting them as they made their descent – it was all there.

They would be saved.

~…~

Lyra was the first to regain consciousness, though upon witnessing the state of the world around her, she honestly wished that she hadn't awoken at all.

The earth beneath her felt unnatural, covered in a film of slime, with an oddly-textured mud just beneath that. In fact, the substance was barely solid. Beneath her splayed body, it felt almost like a liquid, drawing her limbs into its darkness one by one. The sudden awareness that she might've actually been sinking caused the blonde to jump, taking a fair bit of the slime with her as she did so. It clung to her back and shoulders, her hair, her arms – weighing her down. She tried to shake the mess away, but it stuck to her despite her rigorous attempts. Instead, Lyra settled on what she could do: search for the others in this barren wasteland of muck.

It didn't seem plausible that the party should be too far distanced from her current location, so the ex-solider walked in a straight line until her theories were confirmed, landing her beside the redhead who'd undoubtedly caused this entire mess. She didn't have proof to place that blame, but the intuitive feelings Lyra experienced were rarely incorrect. The woman knelt beside the teen with a frown, feeling for a pulse at his wrist; finding one, she stood back up, and turned in a circle until her eyes found his servant a short distance away. She walked from one body to the next, until her efforts rewarded her with standing over a very vulnerable Colonel Jade Curtiss.

Some part of her still wanted to hurt him, to mutilate him, to make him experience what she had – but the greater part of her being, for some unidentifiable reason, wanted nothing more than to help him. The need to aid him, for the first time in over eight years, managed to outweigh all of those accumulated negative feelings, and Lyra couldn't have been more confused. She dropped upon bended knee beside him, simply watching, waiting… _it can't possibly take too long for one of my comrades to awaken, can it?_

As time passed, the ex-solider allowed her eyes to wander. First, to the bleak, never-ending sky tinged with purple and red. It expanded as far as she could see, not once interrupted by clouds, the sun, or the stars. This, amongst other things, disturbed Lyra – she was not accustomed to being unguided by the sky. Her gaze fell next to the earth, as she'd observed earlier, completely barren. There was not a single tree or living creature to be seen, apart from her unconscious allies who laid scattered about in a circular fashion. Certainly, the ground had its dips and rises, as evident in the tiny crater she seemed to be located in, but there was no organic material whatsoever. The lack of life caused an eerie silence, one the blonde had perhaps neglected to notice until now. But now that she did… Lyra felt particularly alone. Certainly, the woman had survived on her own for years before, but this was a feeling alien to even her…

"If it's at all possible, you seem even sicker than before." A twitch of her eyes downward and she knew that the man beside her was now awake, and as it seemed, fully capable of offering ridiculous commentary.

"Good to see you're alright, colonel," she taunted, shaking her head. Jade could only smile, pushing himself up into a sitting position and straightening his glasses. It took a long while for the Malkuthian soldier to speak again, obviously taking time to glance around the new world.

"What a cheery place," he managed at last. Lyra groaned and stood up, but did not verbally reply. The colonel chuckled in response, earning an icy glare from his companion. "Not even a hand up?" he asked, extending his for her to take.

Lyra stared at the outstretched fingers for a moment too long, actually taking a step away from the man who lay at her feet. Jade quirked a brow, but said nothing. The silence between them became eerier still, until that in itself made the blonde uncomfortable. Tentatively, she reached out, fingers curling backwards instinctively.

"You act as though you'll be poisoned on contact."

That comment actually made Lyra jump back, the colonel standing on his own accord with a heavy sigh.

"Where do you suppose we are?" she asked, hoping to escape another awkward situation.

"I've a guess, but I hope that I'm incorrect."

"And what do you think happened to Akzeriuth?"

"That would be included in the guess, most unfortunately."

"But what's become of it? Where are we now?"

The voice to answer next was not that of the colonel, but of one Tear Grants. She paced forward with only a sullen look, an obvious limp affecting her speed.

"We're in the Quiploth."

Jade blinked once; Lyra did twice.

"The Quiploth?" the blonde asked, folding her arms. Certainly it didn't sound like a very inviting place, never mind its looks.

"Yes. It's known to some as 'the inner world'. This is the land which lies beneath the world we know and inhabit." There was a long pause, the three looking from one to the next in a sort of dizzying spell. Eventually, Tear cleared her throat, gesturing to the others who'd begun to stir. Anise had by now secured her feet upon the ground, and Natalia and Guy were looking as though their recoveries were well-underway as well. Mieu was awake, to Tear's surprise, and bouncing around the very unconscious Luke fon Fabre.

"Master! Master, please wake up!" The cheagle bounced around, eventually landing atop Ion, who began to stir upon the contact.

"I doubt he'll wake for a while. Van did hit him pretty hard," Anise mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Where are we?" Natalia inquired, turning toward Tear. The brunette had a slightly more worried look upon her face than before, her eyes cast toward the murky ground.

"The Quiploth: the land which lies beneath the outer lands."

"The… outer lands?" Natalia tilted her head, obvious confused by Tear's explanation.

"All of Auldrant," Tear responded, shaking her head. "It wasn't supposed to be like this… in the Dawn Age, they ensured something like this would never happen… but Van, he-" The mage lost her words, stuttering into incoherent babbles instead. Jade swallowed thickly, and glanced from one companion to the next, all seriousness written upon his maw.

"So this is what we were born from," he said at last, a disapproving stare given to the world around him.

"Yes," Tear managed, shaking herself slightly.

"What do you mean by that, Jade?" Guy asked, stepping into the circle of people.

"I wouldn't know exactly how to explain it. It seems Tear is well versed in the history of the Quiploth, however… perhaps you could provide an explanation." The colonel gestured toward the mage, who nodded slowly.

"The Quiploth was originally where the entirety of the world was located. During the Dawn Age, in Yulia's time, people began to utilize the energy flow from the planet storm – the source of all fonons on Auldrant." She paused, gazing out into the endless purple mist with a frown. "Eventually, people began to realize that harvesting the fonons from the planet storm presented a problem: the miasma. When the miasma began to seep into the world through the Sephiroth, the gateways to the planet's core, the people had to come up with a solution, or else be poisoned by the miasma."

"So, the world was once… down here?" Anise asked, pointing at the mud beneath her feet. Tear nodded, nervously moving her staff between her hands.

"The people utilized the Sephiroth to create fonic trees from a combination of fonons and memory particles. Using the Sephiroth, they sought to elevate the land, creating a defensive, atmospheric barrier between the outer world and the inner world. The outer lands were then named 'Auldrant' by Yulia, while the inner lands were given the name 'Quiploth'. The history of the Quiploth is not well-known in the outer lands because very few people have travelled here, or even know of its existence."

Natalia cleared her throat, raising her hand a bit to pose a question. "How do you know so much about it, Tear?"

"Me? I was born in the Quiploth, as was my brother, Van."

"You were _born_ here?" Guy asked, stumbling over his words. "How could anyone survive in this high a concentration of miasma?" He gestured to the world around them, indicating the purple mist which hung in the air.

"During the Dawn Age, Yulia founded a holy city, which later came to be called Yulia City. The technologies from the Dawn Age are lost to us now, but what remains of them still function. Yulia City was, and still is, surrounded by a fonic barrier which protects against the toxins of the miasma. That is where I was born."

"Yulia's holy city is located in the Quiploth?" Jade inquired, looking highly doubtful.

"It is the only place of residency within the Quiploth. It was never moved to the outer lands, because that was where Yulia herself read the score. It was meant to remain a neutral territory once the kingdoms of Kimlasca and Malkuth were founded. The best way to remain neutral and safe – as Yulia presumed – was to remain beneath the outer lands."

"I suppose that makes sense," Lyra murmured, glancing about the wasteland. "But how exactly did we end up in the Quiploth? I mean, what happened to all of Akzeriuth?"

"I… when Van unsealed the door leading to the Sephiroth in Akzeriuth, he… used Ion's power to ensure that he could… he could-" The mage's words found no meaning once again, a series of rarely heartfelt whimpers passing her lips instead.

"Ugh, wh-where am I?"

"Master, you're awake!"

It was true; Luke was finally coming around, managing to pull himself out of the muck with only a few poor attempts. His eyes were dull, almost lifeless, and he seemed stiff when he did eventually gather the strength to walk toward them. On Tear's end, he was met with a sour look of disdain. He would've sworn to hear Guy swear beneath his breath.

"What're you all looking at me for?" he complained, cringing as his fingers brushed the sore spot at the back of his head.

"…it's nothing," Tear managed, anger poorly hidden behind lit blue eyes.

"So where do we go from here?" Ion asked meekly, hoping to attract the attention of the others.

"Up?" came Anise's reply, a shrug accompanying the question. "If we're in the Quiploth, that seems like the only way we could go."

"Not necessarily," Jade replied, icy tone most certainly directed at Luke, much to the redhead's disproval. "It seems the Tartarus has also fallen." He gestured with an extended arm, the others' attention captured as he pointed to the large ship in the distance. Guy quirked a brow, turning on the Malkuthian colonel with a question on his tongue.

"Why is Malkuth's landship here?"

"It was captured by Oracle Knights," Tear explained, turning to look at Guy. "When I was told to report to Grand Maestro Mohs regarding my current assignment, it turned out to be Van's ploy to save me from Akzeriuth's destruction. The Oracle Knights just outside of the city had captured the Tartarus and were using it to transport Vanguard soldiers into the town."

"Akzeriuth's…destruction?" This inquiry came from Luke, which earned him not but silence. "Th-that's not possible… Master Van had me use hyperresonance to save the town. I neutralized the miasma!"

"No, Luke… your hyperresonance destroyed Akzeriuth… your actions caused the town to fall into the Quiploth." Tear sighed, shaking her head. "In fact, what we stand upon now is likely all that remains of it."

"No… no, no, no! Master Van wouldn't have wanted that!"

"Luke, stop behaving like a child. Van used you," Anise growled, eyes dangerously narrow.

"That's not true! He didn't… I didn't… I couldn't have!"

"Luke, enough of this," Guy murmured, refusing to gaze in the redhead's direction.

"Master Van said it was going to be okay! He said I'd save Akzeriuth and become a hero! He said that… he said… I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You only did what Van told you to," Jade snapped. "But you are in the wrong. You knew that Van couldn't be trusted, Luke, and you still obliged him."

"No… it's not true… it's not true… it's not…"

The Kimlascan sank to his knees, hitting the murky earth with what sounded more like a splash. He buried his face in his hands, seeming to break down into sobs and not much else. Occasionally, fragments of sentences could be heard – all had to do with doubt, with blame, and with Van. He swore to the heavens that he'd not destroyed Akzeriuth, when, in reality, he knew full-well that he had. Luke's tears only subsided when he was granted the respite of unconsciousness. He slipped into the state of mind peacefully, lulling himself to a deeper sleep with only incessant crying and babbling. All stared down at him, shame or disproval in their eyes.

All stared down at him, except for Lyra.

~…~

Luke awoke aboard the Tartarus. He woke in a state of delirium, watching the persons gathered about him slowly disperse – they knew the blame to be his, and wanted no part of him anymore. Even Guy, the servant who'd been by his side his entire life: he was gone. The only one left, the only human being who saw fit to stand by him, was that wrenched woman Lyra.

"So you're awake."

"You?"

"Yes, just me."

"Why're you here?" Luke managed, surprised at his voice for sounding so incredibly bitter. When he received an answer, the blonde's voice was almost inaudible, as though she were murmuring a curse.

"…abandonment is never a pleasant thing."

He wanted to question her, her motives, what she felt for him, and why… but Luke never got the chance. For at that precise moment, the Tartarus came crashing into a landmass, evidently, Yulia City. Luke stirred, gathering himself upon teetering legs, before managing to descend the stairway of the ship at a sprint. Lyra was close behind him, putting far less energy into her brisk trot.

"Hey, dreck!"

Luke froze, as did Lyra and the others behind him.

For there, in the center of the platform leading into Yulia City, stood Asch the Bloody. He was wearing a frown more suitable for a mass burial than a mere confrontation, eyes narrowed to icy opals staring back upon Luke's matching set. Without reason, the ambassador drew out his sword, and charged the God-General. It took not but one simple maneuver for Asch to flip Luke onto his back, his own sword brandished at the teen's neck. Asch spat, jabbing the blade's tip into pale fresh and drawing blood.

"I always knew you were worthless, dreck."

"W-worthless?! Who are you?! Why did Master Van take you away?!"

"Even after all that's happened, you still call him 'master'…? You're pathetic!"

"I...I..."

"Get a good look at my face, you worthless reject. It's the same as yours for a reason."

"Asch, stop!" It was Jade who spoke now, apparently knowing something more than the rest. Natalia turned to him, obvious concern upon her face.

"Jade, what is it?" she asked, swaying slightly as she grew accustomed to the new earth.

"Why should I?!" Asch demanded, snarling at the Necromancer. He turned his attention back to Luke, the scowl returning tenfold. "You know what you are, dreck?! You're me! You're my replica! You're nothing but a worthless copy of me!"

"Wh-what?" Luke's face suddenly went pale, lips mouthing words but no sound escaping.

"That's right! You're only my copy! My worthless, reject replica that Van created as a pawn seven years ago! Why do you think you don't remember your childhood?! Because it's not yours to remember!"

"But I… I'm me… I…" Luke's voice grew soft again, becoming whimpers and sobs.

"You're _me_! The one who stole everything from _me_! My face, my identity, my home in Baticul! You worthless replica!"

And then Asch, blinded by rage, took his sword up, and meant to slice the replica in half. Resent and hatred poured into the single strike, the fiery God-General grew even more angered when that single strike met metal rather than flesh. It might've been acceptable, had it been Luke's own sword, but…

"Stand down."

Lyra stood firm with resolve, between Asch and his trembling replica. Her blade had prevented the God-Generals' from killing Luke, but only just – the two weapons met just a few inches from his chest.

"This isn't your fight, you _demon_…"

"I believe it is. Now, put away your sword, Asch."

There was a single flick of her wrist, Asch stumbling backward as weight was suddenly applied to his blade. He glared into the center of the blonde's being, but Lyra did not move, even as Luke beneath her passed out once again.

"You really do deserve to die…"

With those words, Asch sheathed his blade, and disappeared into the gateway of Yulia City.

* * *

**I didn't really find this to be my best work, or the most interesting chapter to write for that matter. But... the next will focus more on Jade and Lyra's relationship, rather than group conflict. I realized that if I labeled a story as JadexOC there should actually be some degree of romantic interaction... and so far, there really hasn't been. So I shall indulge thee, if that's what you're looking for. Haha. Thoughts, comments, ideas? I'm all ears~**


	15. Graceless

**Author's Note: So, yeah, hey everyone! I apologize for the release of this chapter taking so long. But I did finally finish it (yay!) and that's all that counts... right? Anyhow, I'd like to personally thank the latest reviewer, Ethelo-iel, for their feedback. So, thank you! Unlike the first two reviewers (who I know in real life) I certainly feel obliged to put out a thank you via the inter-webs. And now, on with the story...**

* * *

_Hey, replica… can you hear me?_

_A-Asch! Why're you in my head?! Get… out!_

_Heh, as if. You're in my head, replica…_

_N-no I'm not! I…I…_

_Can't move, right?_

_Why can't I?_

_Try to open your eyes, dreck, and you'll see through mine._

Luke found his original's words to be true, opening his eyes to reveal the reflection of Asch in a mirror before him. The God-General was still clad in his black and gold uniform, tempered steel sword hanging loosely at his side. So many things were the same, and this haunted Luke - disheveled red hair hung as low as his own, and his eyes were just a touch darker. He had the same pale flesh, and the same broad shoulders. Observing his original for the first time in this light was a chilling experience for the replica, no doubt, and he suddenly felt very ill. He tried to grab at his stomach, or rather, Asch's, but the action was not carried out.

_Trying to control me, replica? That's not going to work._

_Then why could you control me?!_

_I'm stronger, dreck. Plain and simple. Now be quiet; I have to go and talk to the mayor about returning to the outer lands._

_W-wait! What about me? Why can't I return?_

_You're weak, replica. Too weak to return to your own body, really. I'll decide when your time is up._

_But, you'll let my body heal first, right? You'll give me time? Asch, I-_

_Be quiet, replica. I don't want to hear another word out of you._

Luke could feel the actions of his original, or at least, he believed that he could. He paced away from a bed, upon which his replica's body lay peacefully. Mieu sat faithfully beside his master's head, clinging onto the redhead's sword with his two tiny forearms. He bid Asch a rather disdainful look as he left the room. The God-General swept down a long, winding staircase, until he finally found himself in another room which appeared to be constructed purely from metal – most notably, brass. A large table rested in the room's center, bookshelves lining the opposite wall. Other than these simple furnishings, the room held only a lamp and a few maps scattered over the table's surface.

The perfect, tranquil atmosphere was interrupted as a certain blonde woman stormed into the room, looking very much disturbed. Asch snorted, but he did not allow himself to think on the new occupant, or at least, not that Luke could hear. He leaned back against the rail of the stairs, quirking a brow at the ex-soldier as she came to rest mere feet away from the God-General.

"Is he alright?" she asked, brushing unruly tangles over her shoulder. Asch snorted again, grip growing more firm upon the handle of his blade.

"And why would you care, _demon_?" he retorted, a snarl obvious in his tone. Lyra did not flinch; instead, she took another step toward him, eyes glowing dangerously in the room's dim light. Luke found the confrontation unexpected, at the very least.

_Hey, Asch, why do you call Lyra a demon? Do you know her?_

_I call her what she is. _

_How do you know her, though? What's your reason?_

_I don't know her personally, no. Now be quiet, replica._

"Is it so wrong for one to care about the well-being of a comrade?" Luke would've sworn that Lyra's gaze could pierce through a person's very core – those animal-like eyes, ridden with sickness, were horrid to observe for any long period of time. Asch, however, let a breathy chuckle pass his lips, taking a step away from the rail, if only to challenge the older woman in front of him.

"He destroyed Akzeriuth. And you _care_ for him?" Luke's heart sank; Asch must've felt that too, because he just allowed himself another laugh.

"We all have our sins." Lyra seemed perfectly honest, and that baffled Luke as well. There was so much about this confrontation he did not understand, and the entirety of the blonde woman before him was one such thing. She continued to remain an enigma, more-so than the colonel named Jade Curtiss, and that in itself was an accomplishment.

"His is greater than most," Asch answered, not missing a beat.

"But not mine."

That seemed to silence Asch, though it left Luke wishing he understood what exactly had just happened.

"…he's upstairs, asleep. You may check on him if you wish, _demon_."

And Lyra passed him wordlessly, allowing the trail of her vision to fall away from the God-General as though he were no more interesting than a speck of dust. Asch grunted in frustration, but not before he knew that she was gone from the room. Without a second glance, the redhead made a grab for the door Lyra had entered from, and strode out into a long, metallic hallway. This connected the tiny area of Luke's residence to the greater portion of Yulia City, crafted from brazen railways and platforms. Oddly shaped buildings towered high into the miasma-clouded sky, tinged purple even through the fonic barrier which protected the people here. It did not take Asch long to reach his apparent destination – the city hall: a monstrous curved structure with a single arched doorway.

_What was all of that about with Lyra?_

_How should I know, dreck?_

_You spoke as though you knew her._

_I don't._

_But you seemed to be-_

_I said shut up._

The God-General climbed another metallic stairway, passing Anise and Natalia with a curt nod. The blonde seemed to want to say something to him, but refrained from doing so, as the thirteen-year old at her side seemed to be of slightly greater important at the current moment. Once he found himself on the second floor of the building, wandering eyes led him to Jade, standing just beside the entrance to what appeared to be a conference chamber. His smile seemed to speak for him, but the Malkuthian apparently saw fit to comment anyway.

"I certainly hope that scowl isn't contagious. It'd simply ruin me." Jade's smile was infuriating as ever; Luke could tell that, despite his weakened vision through Asch's eyes.

"Have you spoken to mayor Teodoro or not?" the God-General snapped, glaring at the military man. Jade simply allowed his smile to grow, stepping away from the wall he'd leaned against.

"The mayor says that he will consider your plan, and that we shall discuss it later this evening."

"That's fine. Is the Tartarus still in operable condition?"

"Yes. It will, however, require repairs quite soon."

"But we can reach Belkend?"

"Absolutely. If everything goes according to plan, the restoration of the Sephiroth should be able to place us not far from the port."

"Good; I'll need at least three people to aid in running the landship."

"At least. I'll tend the captain's station. I presume Guy and Anise will manage the rest."

"We'll leave the others here, then?"

"Tear is the only one who will be able to return to the surface once the Tartarus leaves Yulia City, and she's already agreed to stay with her grandfather for at least a short period of time. I am not sure about the others' wishes."

"Fine, we'll talk about the rest later, since that only leaves the replica and Natalia."

_I want to go back to the outer lands, Asch!_

_You can't! You got your body and mind wrecked. You need time to rest before you can manage anything._

"Very well. Then, until the meeting this evening," Jade offered. He nodded in excuse, removing himself from the God-General's presence quite briskly. Asch doubted it was a gesture of fear, but more likely disrespect. Not that he needed some high-ranked, arrogant, son of a-

_Asch, Jade's not a bad guy. I mean, sure, he can be annoying, but he's not-_

_Shut up, replica!_

~…~

Yulia City had been built with the Quiploth's lack of light in mind. During the day, small fonstones lit the entirety of Yulia City's structures, and during the night, these fonstones were left without the charge of fifth fonons, leaving the watcher's home in complete darkness. Using fonic artes, the people of the Quiploth had found a way to imitate the night and day of Auldrant quite effectively. The occasional visitors to the holy city always admired the false, and yet somehow natural feel of no light. Jade Curtiss, however, felt that he might've been the exception.

Of course, after the meeting with Asch and the others had ended, Jade had things to tend to onboard the Tartarus. It had been decided that everyone, save for Luke and Tear, was to be returning to the outer lands the following morning. That meant that the Tartarus must be prepared for such an operation – certainly, riding a steady flow of fonic energy and memory particles several miles upward was no easy task, even for the most fit Malkuthian warship of them all. The colonel had enlisted Guy's help, and he would've asked the same of Lyra, had she actually shown up to the meeting as she was supposed to. Instead, he and the fon-mechanic spent hours repairing what damage to the ship they could manage, before agreeing that sleep would be necessary for the journey ahead, and returning to the city.

Jade had not cursed darkness so fiercely since his earliest days in the Malkuth military. Certainly, the people of the Quiploth had failed to note that fact that anyone attempting to find their way back to their quarters would be lost if there was no light during the evening hours. He cursed himself for allowing Guy to return to the city before himself as he crashed into the metal gate between the road and the building in which their party was residing. A flash of green annoyance came quite suddenly, Jade's spear charging itself with an immensely heavy load of fonons – so many, that if he lost control… _but at least I can see_, he mused.

He found himself at the door in no time, and stepped into another long hallway. It was quiet here; it seemed as though everyone else had already turned in for the night, and Tear had returned to her own home. Heaving a sigh, Jade turned toward the door to his left, and slipped a gloved hand about the knob, twisting until…

_Click._

Except that the sound did not accompany his actions. Rather, someone else's, just down the hall.

"C-Colonel, you're still awake."

"An astute observation, Lyra." The red-eyed man chuckled, but turned toward the ex-soldier without the familiar grin. He seemed oddly serious, the play in his voice dropping as he questioned her: "Where exactly have you been?"

"Out for a walk, that's all," she explained, shutting the door at the end of the hall softly behind her. Now that she was completely visible, Jade noted the glowing red sword at her side – she'd been using her weapon as a source of light just as he'd been. He almost rolled his eyes at the incidental irony, but refrained from doing so as he drew closer to her.

"At this hour? Oh well, I suppose I'll refrain from commenting on that." The momentary grin was infuriating enough; he didn't really need to. "However, I did mean to ask where you were during the meeting this evening. We never received word on whether or not you'd be travelling to the outer lands with us."

"I will be, rest assured. I was just concerned about Luke, so I used what medicine I had…"

"Tear already healed his wounds. You shouldn't of had to do anything." Jade's harsh gaze nearly cut through the blonde, who backed away and fumbled with a doorknob to her right.

"I did what I could to restore his internal balance… Asch said he'd need all the help he could get…"

"What is your obsession with the replica? What do you feel for him?"

"Sympathy," Lyra answered plainly. Truthfully.

The door to her right opened, and Lyra nodded quickly at the colonel who stood not three feet from her. "Goodnight, colonel," she murmured, and with that, closed the door firmly behind her. And she was gone, disappeared, leaving an exasperated Colonel Curtiss standing alone with a glowing spear in the hall. He shook his head, turning slowly and walking back toward his own room. The nighttime air in the Quiploth was too quiet, another feature the man found himself intensely aggravated by. Jade's eyes were closed, and the silence was almost maddening, because he wanted to hear the blonde's voice give him reason.

He found himself almost _needing_ her reason. _Almost_…

…_no, I can't let it go unanswered. I have to know._

There was another swift turn upon his heel, and the colonel found himself approaching the door to Lyra's chamber quite rapidly. He raised a hand to knock, a decision quickly reasoned against, and instead simply pushed the door inward and stepped into the blonde's chamber.

"Colonel, wh-what're you doing?" she asked, more out of honest curiosity than shock, or anything else for that matter. Seeing him act irrationally was certainly a rare occurrence in itself, but this was particularly disturbing, for new reasons entirely. His eyes fell upon her in both wonder and judgment, and the military man appeared to be more troubled than he had been in a long while.

"He killed tens of thousands of people, singlehandedly. He is a _murderer_ who doesn't even have the worth to think for himself. He almost killed all of us, as a matter of fact, all for Van. And you have sympathy for him?" Jade paused, mind reeling as he backed against the wall beside the door. "I don't understand, Lyra."

"Of course you don't, colonel." Her reply further baffled him, encouraging him to step forward and glare sternly down upon her, as though he was once again her superior.

"You missed a discussion of significant importance simply to watch over him. Why?" Lyra took a step back, crimson orbs being a bit too overbearing for her liking. She pulled nervously at the cloak tied about her waist, her own eyes darting everywhere except for the Malkuthian's face.

"He's a human, who, just like the rest of us, will carry with him a great deal of guilt in light of his actions. When no one else will accept him, I merely thought he could use that understanding from someone."

"He's not even _conscious_."

"Does it matter? He needs support, both physically and mentally. The physical must come before anything else in his case. I was just doing what I had to in order to-"

"You were never like this," Jade argued, eyes still unnaturally calm, face still devoid of emotion. "And all of this, because you feel as though you can relate to him? Then, perhaps, Lyra, you should be going to prison. Because if you feel that way, then perhaps you've really committed a sin comparable to his."

"I… colonel, I can't really explain. It's just that he's…"

"He's suffering, just like the rest of us. And you should know that, shouldn't you? Why've you gone out of your way to protect him? Why would you-"

"Colonel!" She snapped, snarling at him fiercely. "Enough questions for one night, colonel. Please leave."

"I need you to answer me!" Despite the increase in volume, that too was completely lacking of any sort of human understanding, which, despite her years of knowing the man, confused and even hurt the blonde standing before him. "There's a reason for your sympathy. What is it? Why do you-"

"He's a replica, colonel!"

The silence that fell between them could've lasted a thousand years. Lyra awkwardly stared into the taller man's eyes, yellow orbs wavering like two flickering candles in a gust of wind. His own gazed back upon her, like blood, as a shimmer of understanding finally came to them. They'd grown close, uncomfortably so, mere inches separating his heaving chest from hers. Neither did anything to end the mutual disturbance, however, because both were far too entranced by their companion's mental state. When the click of a clock's hand sent their world back into reality, Lyra was the first to break the eerie silence by clearing her throat. She retreated, careful not to touch him as she drew away. Jade simply stood still, taking a long moment to process what he'd heard, what had perhaps begun to eat away at aching memories once more. When he did speak, his voice carried with it an unusual note of uncertainty.

"…I am sorry."

Nothing more said or done, Jade Curtiss left a very confused Lyra Reyson to her much-needed sleep.

Unfortunately, neither she nor the colonel found the thing they needed most within their grasp. Rather, both found the plague of nightmares upon them, surprisingly similar in nature, and most haunting indeed.

~…~

"_Colonel, where exactly are we going?"_

"_To the labs below the Malkuth military base; unfortunately, His Majesty has refused to further fund my research, so I've had to conduct the experiments here myself since the roughly the end of the Hod War." There was a pause as a door before them clicked upon, the two sirs stepping through and into a dimly lit room filled with steel tables and strange-looking instruments. "Please forgive the state of this place, as I've not much time to clean up."_

_Leon did not understand what exactly he meant. The tables were immaculate in appearance, the documents neatly organized, all of the equipment nicely tucked away…_

_And then he saw it._

_Lying upon the table furthest away, insides pried open and exposed to the world, was what appeared to be the remnants of a rappig. Leon felt his stomach twist, and had to look away. The thick swallow he drew was obviously heard by the colonel, who chuckled in tow. _

"_You remember the replication data we collected? The process of fomicry I spoke of?"_

"_Of course, colonel," Reyson answered, sounding considerably more enthusiastic about the science than the dissected animal in front of him._

"_Well, here you have it. This is a replica from about a week ago, as of matter of fact. Unfortunately, the Malkuth military has prevented me from acquiring any preservation equipment… hence the reason I asked you excuse the state of things…"_

"_Colonel, this rappig was created from another?"_

"_Yes. You see, replicas are really doomed from the start. They tend to be weaker, and will die before the original. However, in the case of them being born of equal strengths… unless either the original or the replica is killed, they will both die at the same time due to the Contamination Effect. Now, you remember when I explained that earlier, right?" _

"_Yes, sir. An original and a copy cannot simultaneously exist for an extended period of time. Otherwise, they will succumb to the Big Bang and both die." _

"_Precisely – and this replica was born from one of Emperor Peony's rappigs, so you see…"_

"_You had to kill it. I understand…" _

_Though there was understanding, there was also sadness in the aspiring scientist's eyes. The colonel nodded solemnly, before laying a hand upon the younger's shoulder, a smirk curving across pale lips._

"_This is a rare happening, of course. More frequently, the replica will naturally deteriorate over time."_

"_A birth leading to eventual early death… that's inevitable?"_

"_Quite so, Leon, quite so."_

_Those words were accompanied by the elder's hand pushing a syringe into the younger's, a faint smile tugging at the colonel's lips as he guided Leon in extracting the coagulated blood they'd need for their first joint endeavor…_

* * *

**So I have to wonder if the chapter actually served the purpose I wanted it to, or not. Ah well. Everything will fit together eventually. Until next time~!**


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